Pirates of the Caribbean: Calypso's Fury
by la z boy
Summary: Jack, Will, Elizabeth and the crew battle the sea goddess Calypso in Singapore and confront vicious Chinese pirates along the way. Intentionally vague to make you interested.
1. Prologue: Nine Years Ago

A/N: This is the fifth in my "Pirates" saga. If you haven't read:

"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End"

"Pirates of the Caribbean: The Bermudan Treasure"

"Pirates of the Caribbean: The Amulet Of Atlantis"

"Pirates of the Caribbean: Cortez's Uncharted Islands"

then you might want to do so. And so that there will be an element of surprise, I'm not giving a plot summary of any kind this time. You'll work out the plot as you go along. Now, enjoy the prologue.

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Prologue

_Somewhere off Tripoli - Nine years ago_

Commodore James Norrington peered intently through the telescope currently clutched in his hands, staring ahead at the massive figure of the Black Pearl, the pirate ship that he had been hunting for almost a year. Now, after a pursuit that had almost driven him to the point of obsession, Norrington finally had Jack Sparrow right where he wanted him. This time, Norrington would make sure the rogue buccaneer would not escape.

Norrington, adorned in his commodore attire, depressed the telescope so that it returned to its normal size and handed it over to his first mate, Gilette, who was standing beside him. In turn, Gilette stretched the telescope out to its entire length again while Norrington busied himself with examining the weather conditions of the night which was alight with the glow of the full moon.

"Perfect conditions," Norrington observed. "Perfect for capturing a man who has evaded justice for far too long."

"Do you think Sparrow will become aware of our presence, sir?" asked Gilette.

"Probably," said Norrington rather quickly. "But by the time he does, it will be too late for him." Norington turned around with an air of confidence, his stoic expression still intact. "I'll make the men ready for an assault." He then strode across the deck of his ship to do just that.

Gilette stayed where he was, and raised the telescope to look through it himself. The circular magnifying window of glass at the opposite end of the tool allowed Gilette an exceptional view of the main deck of the Black Pearl. Gilette scanned the ship at a deliberate pace, making sure to absorb every possible aspect of the pirate vessel. But once he reached the stern, Gilette discovered something that no doubt robbed them of the element of surprise.

Standing at the stern that very moment were two figures. One was a rather plump old man with an unshaven pace and weathered eyes, and the other was bedecked in a curious attire, but clothing that still clearly told the average observer that this man was a captain...a pirate captain to be more specific. And this man also happened to be staring through a telescope of his own, a telescope that was aimed directly in the path of where Gilette now stood.

Suddenly, the figure in question lowered the telescope in his grasp, revealing his face to Gilette: Captain Jack Sparrow. Through his own telescope, Gilette was able to make out the smug smirk on Sparrow's face. Immediately, Gilette lowered his own telescope and dashed over to Norrington.

"Commodore!" he said. ""We've been spotted! Sparrow knows we're here!"

Norrington stared at Gilette with scrutinizing eyes, eyes that emanated a sense of cold indifference. Finally, after a few silent minutes, Norrington spoke again.

"It doesn't matter. Sparrow can do nothing to hinder our victory at this stage. We still have the upper hand in this battle...run out the guns."

Gilette simply stared at his commander over the course of mere seconds before repeating the order to the rest of the crew.

"All hands! Run out the guns!"

The sound of rushing feet quickly followed those words as many crew members of the ship went about preparing the weapons located below deck for an attack. During this time, Gilette felt obliged to further probe his captain's thoughts.

"Are you absolutely certain this will work, sir?"

Norrington, who was currently staring at the Black Pearl with a stoic expression, regarded his second-in-command with the slightest of turned heads before giving his answer.

"There is no doubt in my mind whatsoever that tonight will be the night when my continuous pursuit of a notorious pirate will reach its end."

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Aboard the Black Pearl, Captain Jack Sparrow walked away from the point where he had been observing Norrington's vessel, Gibbs hot on his heels. Jack did not like what he had just seen through his telescope, and he knew that it was not a good sign for him and his crew. Because of a recent problem with the Black Pearl's cannons, the crew's weaponry was not up to normal standards. And if Jack's assumptions were correct, which he was positive they were, then they were seriously outnumbered.

'Cap'n...orders?" asked Gibbs expectantly, an air of anticipation in his voice.

Jack took the wheel of his ship, sighing as he did so. "Mr. Gibbs, I'm afraid that in this instance, there is not much we can do."

"Cap'n?" Gibbs' tone was now utterly confused.

"If you are wondering exactly why I am uttering such codswallop, I owe that to our obvious lack of firepower. It appears as if our recent run-in with that gold transportation vessel of the King's required a bit more of our weaponry's power than was initially intended. To put it bluntly, we are short-stocked on defense."

Gibbs could not believe what he was hearing. "Then you propose we simply give up..._Cap'n_?" The final word was clearly strained.

"Unless you see any other alternative," Jack replied.

Gibbs stared out at the fast-approaching vessel, his face a mask of concentration. Finally, he heaved a deep sigh. "You're right, Jack. It'll take an act of God to deliver us from this predicament."

After those words were said, an eerie silence fell over the night, blanketing everything within a couple of miles; it was as if someone had plugged the ears of everyone inside the area. Then, slowly and steadily, the sound of blowing wind became audible, as if it was filtering in through a hole in the sky that seemed to be expanding by the second. The sky itself began to be invaded by thick and menacing clouds that completely blocked the clear and moonlit vision that had been visible only moments before. Next came the progressively increasing rumble of thunder, accompanied by brief and bright flashes of lightning. Almost instantly, raindrops started to fall down from the clouds; softly at first, but they soon came in violent torrents, made violent by the strength of the powerful wind.

The wind also blew hardly against the sails of the Pearl, whipping them about to and fro and causing the ship itself to sway dangerously in the furious ocean. Jack stayed rooted to his spot at the helm, twisting the wheel from side to side in an attempt to keep the ship balanced on the waves, which frequently slammed against the sides of the pirate ship and splashed onto the deck.

This storm had virtually appeared out of nowhere, but it was clearly gaining power with each passing minute. Then, just as suddenly, the rain literally halted in midair, each drop suspended in the air and glistening with some unseen light.

Jack cautiously approached the frozen raindrops, abandoning his position at the helm. Gibbs stepped forward as well, pure awe evident in his wide eyes. Jack reached out with one of his ring-embossed fingers and gently poked at the closest raindrop and as a result, the liquid shape broke apart, smaller specks now sluggishly floating through the air.

"Would an act of a _Goddess_ be sufficient enough?" came a calm and relaxed feminine voice from behind Jack and Gibbs. Both men jumped at the abrupt announcement of a new presence and spun around to be met with the sight of an arrestingly beautiful blonde woman dressed in godlike clothing and emanating a great sense of majesty and power.

Jack's eyes darted to the right and left, obviously searching for the answer to the question of how exactly this mysterious woman came to be here. When he found no such thing, Jack settled his eyes back on the woman and cleared his throat nervously.

"Who the bloody hell are you and how is it that you arrived upon my ship?"

The woman smiled, which seemed to make her face even more gorgeous. "Of course," she said. "To answer your inquiry, Captain Jack Sparrow, I am none other than the sea goddess Calypso herself."

The statement was met with absolute silence. Jack no doubt knew of Calypso, every pirate did, but he was also aware that the goddess in question had been imprisoned in human form some time ago and that there was no way that her standing before Jack and Gibbs after the curious and abrupt storm was even possible.

Jack smirked. "Is this a dream?"

"Dreams and reality _can_ sometimes be intertwined as a form of disillusionment, but I assure you that what is transpiring right now is certainly not a dream."

"Ah."

Jack and Gibbs exchanged curious expressions as Calypso walked over to the rail of the Black Pearl and stared ahead at the British Royal Navy vessel, which was also frozen in time like the rain.

"It seems you have a nasty situation on your hands, Captain...and nothing with which you can combat this threat."

Jack took this as a summons to join Calypso at the railing and did so obediently. "Er...yes."

"Quite apparent that you are in need of some assistance, am I correct?"

Jack regarded the sea goddess with genuine curiosity combined with slight apprehensiveness. "It would all depend on how you define the term 'assistance'. Now, if you – ..."

"What if I were to make you an offer that would ultimately spare you from being captured by the Royal Navy? What would you say?"

Jack's face took on a look of thoughtfulness and he inclined his head toward Gibbs, meeting his friend's eyes instantly. From his vantage point to the situation, Gibbs merely shrugged. Jack then turned back to face Calypso.

"I would want to be made privy to the conditions of said offer."

This time, Calypso turned to face her partner in conversation. She surveyed Jack with an unreadable expression before continuing on. "Quite simple, really...nothing too complicated. Basically, what would happen is I would transform this decidedly nasty storm into a full hurricane, which would act as a diversionary tactic that would present you with the opportunity to escape your...problem." Calypso indicated Norrington's ship.

Jack took his time processing this proposal, giving it much thought. "And what would you gain from all this? After all, accords such as these always involve some sort of benefit for both parties striking the deal."

"Indeed, Captain, indeed. I don't ask for anything quite so elaborate in return for my services...merely something simple that is easy to receive."

"Name your price," said Jack, spreading his arms.

The slightest of smug smiles graced Calypso's lips. "Your ship. The Black Pearl."

For a moment, Jack just stared at the sea goddess blankly. He then cleared his throat and stuck his finger inside his ear and twisted it around. "Terribly sorry...I must have not heard properly. Did you say my ship?"

"Yes."

"Well...might I inquire as to why, exactly, you want my ship?"

Calypso calmly reached out with one hand and gracefully stroked Jack's unshaven face. "I thought you would have known by now," she said with a hint of amusement.

"Known what?" Jack asked suspiciously.

"The fact that I am the one who created the Black Pearl in the first place." Off of Jack's bewildered expression, Calypso continued with her explanation. "Didn't your father ever tell you? Back when he himself was sailing the seven seas as a full-fledged pirate, he called upon my services when he was in desperate need of a proper ship. So, I decided to grant his wish and thus the Black Pearl was born." Calypso paused to let these words sink into Jack's mind.

"So...," Jack finally said, "that's why my ship is desired by so many people? Because it was created by you?"

"Of course. Well...that's only _part_ of the reason."

"What's the other part then? And while we're asking questions, how is it that you are able to stand here before me when I know full well that the Brethren Court imprisoned you in human form for eternity? How is it that you're able to create a storm, or a hurricane for that matter, when your powers have been stripped?"

Calypso smirked in a superior manner, as if the answer to this inquiry was too advanced for a mere mortal to know. "That is of no importance. But suffice it to say that the Gods operate in mysterious ways, the likes of which cannot be comprehended by any human. However, Jack Sparrow, I assure you that I can summon forth a hurricane with the power to tear your adversary's ship in two, allowing you to evade the law yet again."

"And if you're successful...I must hand over the Pearl immediately?"

"Not immediately," replied Calypso, shaking her head, "but eventually I _will_ return to collect on my part of the bargain. Just be aware of that. Think, Jack...would you rather be captured and hanged by the British Royal Navy or continue with your exciting life of piracy unopposed? In my opinion, it's a simple decision."

"Why are you doing this?" was all Jack could reply with.

Calypso shrugged. "We all have different motivations for various actions, and sometimes those motivations must be kept secret. Now, do we have an accord?" Calypso held out her hand, anticipating Jack's.

Jack eyed the outstretched hand with slight apprehension, clearly hesitant to make any type of agreement involving ownership of his beloved ship. After a few moments of searching for any alternatives and finding none, Jack had no choice but to take Calypso's hand in his and shake it.

"Excellent," said Calypso as she smiled victoriously. "Now, the key to escaping my forthcoming hurricane is quite simple: sail _around_ it instead of through it. To do that, go to your starboard side."

Jack nodded. "Makes enough sense."

Without another word, Calypso vanished into thin air, her figure shimmering into nothingness. Once she did, the frozen rain resumed its heavy downfall, prompting Jack to return to the helm.

"HARD TO STARBOARD!" he called out for effect over the rain.

"ALL HANDS ON DECK!" Gibbs shouted to summon the crew members, followed by further orders meant to make the crew participate in the change of course.

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Meanwhile, the rain persisted and became even stronger from where Norrington stood on the deck of his ship. Shielding his eyes from the downpour of liquid from the sky, he did his best to observe the rather abrupt change of weather conditions.

"IT'S A HURRICANE, COMMODORE!" Gilette called out from Norrington's right. "ORDERS?"

Norrington looked ahead to observe the position of the Black Pearl, and when he saw that it was heading over to the edges of the growing storm, an idea popped into his head. He turned to face Gilette. "KEEP US ON A STRAIGHT COURSE! WE'LL CUT THEM OFF BY SAILING THROUGH THIS!"

"SAIL THROUGH IT? ARE YOU MAD?" Gilette asked in clear confusion just as a flash of lightning briefly illuminated the night, accompanied by a loud rumble of thunder.

"JUST DO IT!" shouted Norrington.

Gilette shrugged uselessly and echoed Norrington's orders to the crew. "ALL HANDS, KEEP HER STEADY AND STAY ON THIS COURSE!"

As the crew carried out this command, Norrington continued to stare ahead at both the violent weather conditions and his goal.

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Jack remained steadfast as he kept spinning the wheel of his ship in the direction of the area where the hurricane was not exerting its wrath. They were almost safe; it only required a bit more navigating to be safely out of the furious storm. The wind seemed to be buffeting the sails instead of hindering them

"CAP'N! ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THIS?" came Gibbs' amplified voice over the hurricane.

"NO!" Jack shouted back. "BUT I'D RATHER PUT MY FATE IN THE HANDS OF A GODDESS THAN CHANCE! NOW, TELL THE CREW TO COAX MORE SPEED FROM THESE BLASTED SAILS!

"AYE, CAP'N!"

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Meanwhile, Norrington's vessel had sailed fully into the monstrous hurricane and was steadily approaching the eye of the storm. Norrington himself was standing at the helm, his face contorted in steely concentration. Just then, Gilette ascended the stairs leading to the very place and shouted out to his commander.

"WE'RE COMING UP ON THE EYE, COMMODORE! WE SHOULD DROP CANVAS!"

"NO!" Norrington yelled back in protest. "WE END OUR CHASE WITH SPARROW TONIGHT! KEEP THIS COURSE!"

Gilette looked at Norrington with absolute incredulity and shook his head. "I CAN'T DO THAT, SIR! THIS IS SUICIDE!" Suddenly, Gilette grabbed hold of the wheel and attempted to wrench it from Norrington's grasp.

"STAND DOWN, SAILOR!" shouted Norrington as he struggled with Gilette over command of the ship.

"I WON'T ALLOW YOUR ARROGANCE TO KILL THESE MEN!"

"YOU ARE NOT IN CHARGE HERE! I AM! I SAY WE KEEP MOVING!"

"WELL, I SAY DIFFERENTLY!"

Just then, a bolt of lightning came down from the sky and made contact with the sails of Norrington's ship. The action caused the sails to be set ablaze, despite the relentless rain shower. Part of the wooden poles and rigging holding the sails up immediately came tumbling down onto the main deck, causing Norrington and Gilette to abandon their positions at the helm and dive for cover. But at the very same moment the flaming debris touched down on the ship, massive waves from the ocean rocked the vessel, which made Gilette stumble over the railing of the ship and plunge down into the violent ocean below; his screams were audible all the way down.

"GILETTE!"

Norrington was not allowed a moment of grief, however, for more pieces of the sails and rigging began to rain down upon the deck, robbing the ship of its ability to sail properly. As a result, the Navy vessel started to sway dangerously from side to side, rocked by the now non-stop waves that were crashing against it. Soon, the entire deck of the ship was on fire and despite the sheets of rain, the flames were not dying down at all.

The crew, in their entirety, suddenly came bounding up from below deck to discover the source of all the commotion. When all of them saw the tall flames, the crew reacted instantly and scrambled for the railings so that they could abandon ship. But in the process, some of the men ran in the path of the flames and caught fire themselves, and either sank to the deck because of their flesh being eaten by the flames or fell over the side of the ship and into the icy depths below.

Norrington scrambled to his feet and quickly assessed the damage done to his vessel. He immediately surmised that his ship was doomed and that any hope of saving it had now vanished. Cursing Jack Sparrow, Norrington forced himself to jump ship, making contact with the aggressive ocean almost instantly.

Only seconds after Norrington had submerged with the ocean, he surfaced and gulped in deep breaths. He broke the ocean's surface just in time to observe his vessel slowly sink down into the ocean, the now enormous flames gradually being engulfed by the seawater. Norrington did feel a sense of loss over his ship, but he nonetheless sucked it up and looked around at what remained of his crew.

Only four men were still alive, and barely at that. They were each supporting each other in order to stay afloat, and they looked the worse for wear.

Norrington closed his eyes in anger, suddenly furious at everything that was connected with his pursuit for Captain Jack Sparrow. He was angry at Sparrow himself first and foremost, but also enraged at the British Royal Navy for wanting him to be arrested so badly, the East India Trading Company for commissioning Norrington to chase Sparrow down, and furious at Governor Weatherby Swann for pressuring him to do so.

"Damn all of them for putting me into this situation. I never wanted it to end this way." Norrington uttered these words under his breath in a bitter tone.

Norrington already knew that he would find some way of returning to Port Royal and thus resign his position as Commodore.

As he swam over to attend to his living companions, Norrington did not notice the hurricane begin to recede.

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The Black Pearl was now safely out of the hurricane, and the weather had clearly calmed down. Jack and Gibbs stood at the helm and stared back at where Norrington's ship had floated only minutes before.

"Shame. I actually feel sorry for ol' Norrington," said Jack.

"Aye. Terrible way ta' lose a ship. Hopefully, he was able to escape."

"At least he's off my back for now."

Gibbs turned to face Jack. "Tell me, Cap'n, do ya really intend ta' hand over the Pearl ta' Calypso one day?"

"Course not; I would have said anything if it meant deliverance from justice."

"But what will you do when Calypso comes to collect on her part of the bargain one day?"

Jack shrugged. "Dunno. I'll make something up."

And that was the truth; Jack did _not_ know how he would be able to uphold his part of the deal when the time came.


	2. A Hellish Agreement

A/N: Sorry for such the long wait, but I've been both extremely busy and mapping out the remainder of the series after this story, chapter by chapter! But, I finally managed to complete this chapter, so enjoy!

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Chapter 1

The Underworld, or Hell as it is most commonly referred to, is nothing like how it's perceived by the living souls inhabiting the world above it. The Underworld isn't a virtual inferno with powerful and imposing flames rising higher and higher with each passing second. There is no Devil with horns on top of his head, clutching a body-length three-pronged pitchfork in one hand, just waiting on a platform for the next batch of evil souls to enter his domain for an eternity of damnation. This image of the Underworld has been imprinted into every person's mind as a result of misinterpretation and one other person's overactive imagination. The Underworld is nothing like the vision that has been spoon-fed to us for countless years. In fact, the only piece of truth we as the human race possess about the Underworld is that it is the place where a soul will experience an eternity of damnation, automatically robbed of the faintest idea of a reprieve.

In the _true _Underworld, there are no monstrous flames whatsoever, nor molten rock with heat virtually emanating off it and contributing to the sweltering atmosphere that would make anyone parched of thirst within mere seconds. To contrast that idea, the Underworld was actually cold; so cold, in fact, that if any living person were to somehow enter the place, they would be under the impression that they had just stepped foot into the most frigid location in the Arctic. Of course, to the demons, tortured souls and other evil manifestations inhabiting the dank and dreary world, the freezing temperature was normal. There was no sign at all of any bright colors in the land of the dead, however the only light that did exist in the Underworld was slightly bright and was able to sufficiently light up the entirety of the nightmarish surroundings; the light in question was dark blue, the darkest form of the color imaginable. The type of bluish haze that gave off a sinister impression and had the ability to instill the most dreadful sense of foreboding into the hearts of anyone. The source of said light was the narrow rivers of translucent water that ran all through the Underworld, all of which led to a rock-made castle that stretched so high up, the top of it threatened to poke through into the mortal realm itself. At various intervals of the craggily-rock castle, there were crudely shaped holes, or windows, through which came not only a wave of sweltering heat, but an eerie light; a devilish blue as well. There was no red coloring whatsoever in the Underworld, just a form of the color blue that wasn't a cheerful form of the color, but rather a type of blue that was uncommon in the human world; one that emanated a feeling that could only be described as malefic.

Floating gracefully along one of the narrow straits was a longboat, one with a solitary figure sitting in it and a dim light resting on the tip. The water it was floating upon, however, was yet another evil addition to the nightmarish surroundings. Under the surface of black water that was tinged with just the right amount of blue were two greatly unsettling sights. The first was something that seemed almost inevitable for a location of the deepest and darkest forms of evil: thin, yet wide streams of another liquid-like substance that was clearly thicker than the water in which it was immersed in. Whenever any amount of this thick liquid was pass above some of the glowing blue of the river, the faintest hint of a dark red color would stand out, if only for a quick moment; blood. But the streams of blood were not the only chill-inducing thing mixed with the plain water. Accompanying the blood were pale and ghost-like, yet completely solid corpses; their eyes were closed and their faces peaceful, but in a creepy way; the sight was made even more frightening by the faint but audible sound of painful moaning that seemed to come from multiple mouths. Merely glancing at these dead bodies was enough to send shivers running down anyone's spine.

But the lone figure in the longboat purposefully paid no attention to these literally spiritless figures, and kept her gaze trained upon Hades' castle, which loomed before her. Calypso then allowed her beautiful eyes to move down to look at the locket draped around her neck and over her breast, the value and power encased inside of it evident. Wary of the disfigured and disgusting wraiths crawling upon the walls of the underground kingdom of death and despair, Calypso tucked the locket into her breasts, so it wouldn't attract the attention of the greedy eyes of said demons. With that done, Calypso's attention was averted to the castle of Hades, which was now as close as it was ever going to be. Sure enough, a spit of land (if it could even be called that) lay only inches away from the tip of the longboat.

Calypso tightened the black cloak that covered her, kept her head inclined downward, stood up and exited the hellish longboat as an invisible force raised the rope connected to it and secured the rope to the small wooden pole used for just that purpose. The moment that Calypso had stepped foot on the land belonging to Hades and his other assorted minions of death, two circular, but miniature, whirlwinds of black smoke came down from above and settled on either side of the sea goddess. They stayed there for a few seconds, after which the swirling smoke disappeared from sight, spinning into the chests of their sources: two human, yet demonic figures with pale blue skin that contrasted with smears of what was clearly blood, still fresh it seemed. Both demons wore black cloaks that billowed, even though there was no wind, and expressions that were not only disturbingly wicked, but impassive at the same time.

The demon on Calypso's right spoke in a voice that sounded the screeching of bats, but also had a low and sinister rumble to it. "Mortals are unwelcome in the Land of the Dead. Who are you and how did you come to be here? _Identify yourself._"

Calypso returned the demon's coldness by incorporating the feeling into her reply. "I am no mere mortal, you festering piece of filth."

"Then who are you?" asked the second demon in pretty much the same voice as his companion.

"Someone who commands enough importance to be granted an audience with Hades himself." Calypso purposefully avoided identifying who she was for the time being, but only for the slightest of moments; she knew that the revelation of who she was needed to be simple and shocking in its delivery. However, the two demons were relentlessly persistent in their duties.

"Either identify yourself or be subjected to the cruelest of treatments."

The first demon slowly pulled out a long, curved blade from inside his cloak and grasped it in a warrior-like pose. But that wasn't all; the blade also erupted into glaring blue flames along the edges, the weapon alone proving the magnitude of the dark power that existed in the Land of the Dead. Then, the demon inched the tip of the blade as close to Calypso's soft cheek as he could without actually penetrating the skin. Calypso could feel the heat surging fro it in invisible waves. As the sea goddess stared at the flaming blade quite indifferently, the demon holding it continued on in his appropriately malicious tone of voice.

"It would be such a shame to damage that flawless skin of yours, wench. Simply cooperate, and I can guarantee your business with Hades will be tended to."

Calypso shifted her amused gaze to the pale and bloody face of the demon, giving off the air of someone who considered dangerous situations to be good sport.

"You see," she said, "that's your grandest mistake. Assuming that I'm nothing more than a mere human."

Then, moving so fast that neither of the demons had time to react, Calypso raised her left arm so that the palm of her hand faced the demon trying to intimidate her, and a great wave of water shot out from it, wrapping around the demon's waist and raising him high into the air; the demon dropped the flame-engulfed sword as a result.

The demon's compatriot made a move to assist his partner, but Calypso spotted his movement out the corner of her eye and did the same thing to him. Seconds later, both demon minions of Hades were suspended in midair, held up only by rings of water; the demons were struggling with all their might to wriggle free. Calypso observed their futile attempts with entertained eyes, not possessing the intention to relinquish her hold any time soon. The only thing that would make Calypso stop was Hades himself, and soon enough, his serpent-like voice pierced the air.

"It would be considered highly imprudent of you to not let my servants down."

The dangerously silky voice came from behind Calypso, and thus she turned around to face the owner of said voice; as she did so, the water rings that grasped Hades' two minions vanished, causing the two demons to come crashing down onto the cold stone that served as footing.

Hades stood facing Calypso now, his gloved hands resting atop a cane which had a miniature silver model of a human skull at its tip. The most common vision of Hades was one that portrayed the Keeper of Evil Souls as a disfigured man with physical characteristics that made him appear like a creature rather than a human; this perception was universally inaccurate.

Hades had the appearance of a human, as normal as any living being could possibly look. The God of the Underworld was dressed in total black, robes befitting only for a God. His black hair was slicked back with oil and his cold eyes were just as dark. But currently, Hades' eyes were fixed upon Calypso, reflecting not the purest of evil, but a sense of amused curiosity. The slightest of smirks graced his mouth.

"Could it _actually_ be Calypso? Goddess of the sea and sister to not only Poseidon, but me as well? And in _human form_?"

Calypso rolled her eyes at her brother's taunting of her current form, and nodded. "Yes, brother. It is me." The sea goddess took one step toward Hades, letting her eyes dart all around. "I must admit, you have a rather...appropriate home. Comfy...," she indicated the rocky walls and the grossly disfigured demons crawling on them, "...cozy." Next, Calypso pointed out the rivers carrying fresh corpses.

Hades followed her gaze and nodded. "The bodies of those who perish at sea," he explained. "Their bodies are transferred down here, as well as their souls. However, the fleshy prisons for these particular souls are being preserved for important purposes."

"Such as?" Calypso inquired.

"To serve as warriors who would be virtually indestructable; unable to die in combat and incapable of exhaustion. The perfect soldier."

"So you're building an army of warriors who are really corpses?"

"Corpses who can be controlled and manipulated by me, of course," Hades corrected his sister. "You see, free will is the one major flaw of humans. The ability to do anything without outside council is simply inhumane, in my opinion. Take away free will, and suddenly, you have the perfect human being: unable to enact resistance of any form and as easy to control as a pawn, which is what this army will be composed of."

"And I take it this army of yours will be used to help in your campaign against our eldest brother, Zeus?"

Hades scoffed at the mention of the God living on Mount Olympus. "Zeus' perception of power is vastly inaccurate...Poseidon agrees. He himself is breeding an army of sea creatures to combine forces with my undead soldiers; an uprising is inevitable, dear sister. Perhaps you should join us?"

Calypso shook her head. "No. Control over the mortal world does not entice me as it does you and Poseidon. No, why I'm here involves entirely different matters."

Hades, grasping his cane tighter and regarding his sister with a new form of curiosity, turned. "Those matters being...?"

Calypso hardened her expression and gazed down unblinkingly at the floating corpses. She then stated her answer in a very simplistic tone. "I'm in need of a ship."

Hades looked at her as if she were speaking gibberish. "A ship? You came here to my domain seeking a ship?" He smoothed back his already slick hair. "That seems a bit contradictory. After all, you are the goddess of the sea...can't you simply create one yourself?"

"Yes," Calypso nodded, "but I'm afraid the type of ship I require needs to be...how shall I put this...more..._otherworldly _than the powers of my locket allow." She pulled the locket in question from her bosom; it was carved in the shape of a heart.

"Why am I sensing that there is more to your proposal than you're divulging? What are you intending to use the ship for, exactly?"

"I'm a Goddess with decidedly limited power," Calypso began, "so, naturally, I want to regain those powers. And I know for a fact that there is a certain diamond, large in appearance and located in Singapore, that contains the full multitude of my abilities...perhaps all of it. I need a ship to get to Singapore using rather...unique ways. And I assure you, brother, that I already have an able crew under my command." Calypso paused, surveying Hades carefully. "Please, Hades, consider it a favor...I'll owe you."

Those final three words especially caught Hades' attention. "And what, specifically, will I receive in return for my services to my sister?"

Calypso smiled. "Just tell me whatever it is you desire."

Hades' face took on a thoughtful expression, and the Lord of the Underworld turned around and started to pace back and forth over the course of a few minutes until finally, he came to a halt right in front of Calypso. "Well, as you know, I strive on collecting as many souls as I can. But, for a few years now, there has been one particular soul that has eluded me countless times. This is the one soul that I would personally come to the mortal realm to collect, should the opportunity ever present itself."

"And whose soul might this be?"

"Perhaps you're familiar with him...a certain Captain Jack Sparrow."

Calypso's eyes widened at the sound of Jack's name. Hades noticed this, smirked, and continued on.

"Ah, I see you are. To put it bluntly, Sparrow has somehow managed to cheat death many times, making me grow hungrier for his soul with each stroke of sheer luck that assists him at the last possible moment. And seeing as you're about to embark on a journey to Singapore and will no doubt be hindered by Sparrow, all I ask is for you to deliver Sparrow and whatever comrades of his may be with him to an...acquaintance of mine who lives there. The new Pirate Lord of Singapore...Captain Cheng Lo. Ever since Sparrow vanquished the soul of former Pirate Lord Sao Feng, Cheng Lo has sought vengeance against him. Of course, I'll need to contact yet one more mortal accomplice of mine in order to inform Cheng Lo of Sparrow's impending visit, but once that is accomplished, all you need to do is hand the pirate over so that he'll finally spend an eternity here."

Calypso took a moment to let Hades' words seek in, and nodded when they had. "Agreed. So, we have an accord?"

"That we do," Hades confirmed. "And I expect you to fulfill it."

"Don't fret. Now, if you'll kindly summon up a satisfactory vessel, I can be on my way."

Hades nodded. "Stand back."

Calypso obliged and took a few steps backward as Hades raised his skull-topped black cane up slightly, let it hang suspended in midair for a few seconds, and brought it back down to make contact with the crude rock in a way that caused the entire area to quake violently.

Calypso struggled to maintain her balance and footing during this time and she noticed the ground beneath her gradually begin to rise upward, toward the stalactite-covered ceiling. Aware of how susceptible to pain she was in her human form, Calypso braced herself by covering her blonde head with her arms, waiting for the sharp tips to pierce her skin...but they never did. Once Calypso was positive that they had passed the barrier of the Underworld, she removed her arms from over her head and stared around.

Not only were Calypso and Hades now out of the Underworld and in the mortal world, but they were also standing upon the main deck of a vast ship, sporting many hellish and aquatic features that were definitely befitting to someone like Calypso. The sea goddess continued to gaze around at her new vessel, and noticed that her crew of vicious-looking sea creatures/humans now stood at different intervals of the ship. Calypso turned to her brother and regarded him admiringly.

"I must say, Hades, you've rather outdone yourself."

"Praise is not necessary, this is merely a result of genuine power and concentration."

"Which I hope to regain very soon." Calypso leaned over and planted a sisterly kiss on Hades' pale cheek. "I regret abandoning you so soon, brother, but you understand my dilemma."

"Of course. I've fulfilled my end of our bargain, now it's high time you begin to fulfill yours."

And with that, Hades vanished into thin air by evaporating into nothingness, leaving Calypso alone with her crew. Not long after that, Calypso's first mate approached her and asked for orders.

"We need to make sure Jack Sparrow follows us to Singapore," she said as she opened her heart-shaped locket. Calypso then touched her forefinger to the locket's contents and closed her eyes in concentration; the sea goddess was soon rewarded wit a crystal-clear vision of the town of Port Royal. Calypso smiled in satisfaction and closed the locket again. "Chart a course to Port Royal. I need to first get Sparrow's attention, and I believe that I have a fairly good idea of how to do so."

Her first mate nodded, relayed his captain's orders, and soon they were headed in the direction of Port Royal...which happened to be the same destination as the Black Pearl.

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And presently, the Black Pearl was gliding along the calm waters of the Caribbean under the starlit sky, with each and every star reflected in the shiny ocean. The moon was full and shone bright, which added to the luminescent quality of the surface of the ocean. Everything about the vessel seemed peaceful enough, but inside the living quarters of the Black Pearl, one crewmate in particular was experiencing troubling dreams.

Elizabeth Turner lay in the bed she shared with her husband Will whenever their old friend Jack Sparrow managed to delude them into joining him on yet another one of the pirate captain's escapades, and currently, her face was contorted in a troubled expression and she was sweating. Will lay sound asleep next to her, while their son Michael slept soundly in a small hammock on the cabin's opposite wall.

_In her dream, Elizabeth was engaged in battle yet again with the same figure whose identity was concealed by the shadows. They were fighting in the same location as before: the withered remains of a shipwreck, mainly the Captain's Quarters. In one hand, Elizabeth held a vial of neon-green colored liquid, which was of the utmost importance._

_Elizabeth persisted in the duel, willing herself to go on despite the feeling of fatigue that was slowly enveloping her. But all too soon, the strength of her opponent caused Elizabeth to fall backward onto the wood floor, the vial of green liquid rolling one way and her sword skidding in the other. Elizabeth did her best to try and recover the two objects, but was unsuccessful as her opponent began to bear down upon her, stepping into the light as he did so._

_The face that met Elizabeth's eyes caused her to gasp in genuine shock. It was hardened in a serious expression, handsome, and belonged to her husband: William Turner. However, the cold hatred and darkness reflected in Will's eyes at the moment was not like him at all; it was as if he was a completely different person._

_But before Elizabeth could utter a single word, Will brought down the sword in his hands lethally._

Just then, Elizabeth awoke with a jolt. She was breathing heavily, and she allowed her eyes to dart around frantically as they took in her true surroundings; she was still safely aboard the Black Pearl, not a part of any battle whatsoever. Her breathing normal again now, Elizabeth wiped her sweaty forehead and made sure not to wake Will as she sat herself up, wrapped herself in a spare blanket, and quietly exited their cabin to walk up onto the main deck.

Elizabeth came up the stairs and onto the main deck of the Pearl, immediately met by a light breeze of cool, crisp night air that blew a few strands of Elizabeth's hair upward slightly. Elizabeth walked over to the railing and stood there, her arm still wrapped in front of her grasping the blanket and now resting upon the railing itself.

She stood there like that, content with just gazing out at the moonlit ocean peacefully, giving no regard to the various troubles that existed in her mind. Elizabeth used this time to herself to try and clear her mind of said uncertainties and troubles, most of which involved the previous dream. Elizabeth firmly assured herself that the dream was just that: a dream, and did not mean anything. And yet, there was another part of her that was certain that it was important, and that Elizabeth should treat it with seriousness.

But the tender touch of a strong, but gentle hand on Elizabeth's shoulder brought her back to reality. Elizabeth could tell precisely whom the hand belonged to without turning around, and she gingerly laid her own fingers upon the firm ones now grasping her shoulder. Next, the caring voice of Will reached her ears.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Elizabeth replied in an airy tone as she closed her eyes, a tone that made it evident that something _was_ wrong.

"Elizabeth," said Will, "I can tell when something's troubling you. Please tell me what it is."

Elizabeth sighed heavily, reopening her eyes and turning around to face her husband. "It's just..." She trailed off and looked into Will's concerned eyes in order to summon the strength to voice her fears. "I...had a dream. It was so vivid and so real that it felt as if it were actually happening."

"What happened in this dream?" Will queried, his voice laced with genuine concern.

Elizabeth plowed on with her explanation, unable to stop now. "I was dueling someone inside what appeared to be the remains of a shipwreck, but we weren't underwater. My opponent always stayed in the shadows until he finally overpowered me...and then he stepped into the light, and I saw his face..."

"Did you recognize who it was?"

Elizabeth merely nodded, as she suddenly lost the ability to speak. She turned her head away from Will, tears beginning to well up inside her eyelids.

"Elizabeth, who was it?" Will repeated.

Elizabeth wiped away a single tear that fell from her left eye, but did not want to face Will again. However, she felt Will's fingers come up under her chin and rotate her head so that husband and wife were facing each other yet again.

"Y-y-you," Elizabeth stuttered in a breathless voice, letting the tears come full-force now. "You were fighting me and then...you...brought your sword down as if...as if...you were going to kill me." Now, Elizabeth was truly sobbing.

Will stood where he was, his face filled with blank confusion. When Elizabeth threw herself at him and started to cry into his chest, he absently wrapped his arms around her and began to rub her soothingly. At last, Will was able to voice the question on his mind.

"Have you had this dream before?"

"Once," Elizabeth admitted in-between sobs.

"When?"

"When we were searching for The Clan Of Cortez."

"And how real was this dream?"

"Too real."

Will then blinked, as if he had just come out of a reverie, and now began to speak to his wife in a soothing tone. "Elizabeth, it was just a dream. It doesn't mean anything." He cupped Elizabeth's face in his hands and looked her dead in the eye. "I love you, and I would _never_ do anything to harm you at all."

Elizabeth nodded and sniffed, hugging Will close to her for the second time that night. And as Will stood there comforting Elizabeth under the flourescent moonlight, he found that he could not shift aside the feeling of uneasiness and fear that had accompanied Elizabeth's explanation of her dream.


	3. Catching Up

A/N: FINALLY got the next two chapters done, so here they are. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

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Chapter 2

"Jack, you're being irritatingly intractable," said Will as he squeezed the ridge of his nose with his head bent over. "For the last time, using my new authority as Governor, I can offer you substantial protection from Calypso once we reach Port Royal."

Jack, Will, Elizabeth and Bootstrap were all standing in the Captain's Quarters, the time being midday and the topic of discussion being the measures that needed to be taken concerning the impending arrival in Port Royal. Jack himself was standing in front of the window of his cabin that overlooked the vast expanse of ocean that stretched for miles in every imaginable direction. He held his three-cornered hat in both hands behind his back, fiddling with it especially as he twisted around to face his comrades.

"It's not that I doubt your ability to uphold said promises, William...God knows you're a man of your word...what perturbs me however is whether the military men now under your command will be willing to protect an infamous pirate." Jack replaced the hat on his head. "After all...I _am_ Captain Jack Sparrow. And my history with the residents of Port Royal have not been exactly sterling. I would think that they would resent the fact that I escaped a hanging in their court."

"Relax," reassured Will. "The troops will help protect you if I say so, and I do."

"But might I inquire as to how you plan on battling a flesh-imprisoned Goddess bent on vengeance who possesses the power to manipulate the sea?"

Will could only shrug. "We'll do our best, Jack."

Jack looked curiously at Will for a brief few seconds before replying with one of his usual cheeky remarks. "Your best?" he asked. "Losers always brag about _their best_. Winners simply get the job done as well as stealing the Governor's daughter for themselves."

On hearing that comment, Will shared a knowing and amused look with Elizabeth before coming back with something of his own. "If you remember correctly, Jack, Elizabeth _was_ the Governor's daughter." (Jack smirked while raising one eyebrow.) "And what's more, I married her."

"So I'd say you're a winner, then." Jack's voice was filled with amusement.

Just then, there was a quick knock on the cabin door. Jack shouted his order for the person on the opposite side to enter and they did. It was Gibbs.

"Cap'n, we comin' up on Port Royal. She's within sight."

"Well then, Mister Gibbs, I think it prudent to inform the crew to prepare to dock. We'll be making an unplanned stop there."

"May I ask what for, Cap'n?"

"You may," Jack replied, "but then I may say that it's none of your business, ninny!" Jack received a rather cold expression from Gibbs, prompting him to give in and seriously explain the unannounced pit-stop. "We need a safe haven for protection from Calypso, should she attack, which I think she will. Now then, pass the message along, Mister Gibbs!"

"Aye, aye Cap'n!" Gibbs swiftly turned on his heel and exited the cabin, the sound of his rough voice echoing Jack's orders audible for some time.

When the air was silent again, Will cleared his throat to ask Jack a question. "Jack, how certain are you that Calypso will even recall the bargain you two made? After all, it _was_ nine years ago."

Jack deeply sighed. "William, William, William," he said in the type of tone one would use if one was correcting an elementary mistake of a young child. "Do you actually think that Gods or Goddesses ever forget deals made with mortals? If you do, then you're grossly naive. Calypso will not rest until she gains that which was promised to her...The Black Pearl."

Elizabeth stepped forth from her previous spot, where she had been casually leaning against the wall, and lightly laughed in an obvious attempt to lighten the atmosphere. "Jack, please. You seem to be handling this matter in an extremely serious way, or might I say...a way that is highly unlike you."

Jack turned to her. "Excuse me for truly caring about what is rightfully mine. I hold my ship in very high regard and do not wish to transfer ownership anytime soon." Jack eyed Elizabeth thoughtfully. "What would you do if someone were trying to tear you apart from your son?"

Elizabeth sighed and stared down at her boots. She replied after a few short seconds. "I'd do everything in my power to prevent it from happening."

"Good," said Jack. "So now we've all reached an understanding."

"Then we should go about helping the crew bring the Pearl in to dock," said Bootstrap before stepping through the doorway and onto the main deck. Will and Elizabeth made to follow, however Jack quickly crossed the length of the cabin before the two of them could and closed the door before they could even reach it.

"Is there something you wish to discuss with us, Jack?" Elizabeth asked.

Jack grinned. "Am I that obvious?"

"No," said Will. "Well, there _was_ you closing the door to ensure that we won't be overheard. I don't know about you, but an action like that screams the fact that you wish to speak in private."

Jack stared a moment at Will before smiling and nodding. "You're right. There's a certain topic of discussion that has been pestering me in the back of my mind." He took a deep breath and walked back over to sit behind his desk. "I have had countless...flings with women in the past, but never has one resulted in a child...until now, that is."

Elizabeth nodded, understanding Jack's meaning. "You're unsure of how to proceed with Jacquelyn."

"You could say it like that."

"What is it you're unsure of, exactly?"

"Of how to deal with her. Suddenly, I have a daughter. And I'm expected to care for her without even knowing anything about her?" Jack began to twiddle his fingers. "What is she like?"

"Oh." Elizabeth was slightly taken aback by the question. "Well, um...Jacquelyn is great. Really great." Elizabeth was casting around for words, trying to figure out how to best describe Jack's daughter to him. "She can be very polite and charming. She gets along extremely well with Michael..."

"Does she possess any specific qualities that I may hold in high regard?" Jack asked expectantly.

Elizabeth and Will exchanged a glance, and Elizabeth suddenly thought of one of Jacquelyn's rather infamous qualities and voiced it. "Well, Jacquelyn _does_ have an...adventurous spirit to her."

"Meaning...?"

Elizabeth shrugged. "There are times when she can make her displeasure with someone pronounced...by pulling pranks."

Jack grinned yet again, and this time there was a glint in his eye. "Ah...she has a pirate streak inside of her after all. Tell me, 'Lizbeth, has she ever done that to you?"

"What? Why would you ask that?"

Jack shrugged. "It could be because you talked about the subject in a decidedly bashful manner. Jacquelyn must have gotten you at least more than once."

"I...don't think that discussing this is...the proper time to discuss such things." Elizabeth did her best to avert the subject of Jacquelyn's mischievous side.

Jack, however, wouldn't be deterred. "You're clearly avoiding the subject, so I'd be inclined to say that you are her favorite target." He eyed Elizabeth with an amused expression.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Oh please, Jack. What does it matter if Jacquelyn pulls pranks on me?"

Jack bolted up from his chair. "Aha! So you confirm it! My daughter _does_ use you as a scapegoat for her pranks! Tell me about some of them."

"No."

Jack raced over and stood firmly in front of the door. "I'm not letting you out until you do. So you'd better start spilling the beans."

Elizabeth partially opened her mouth with half the mind to protest, but she closed it and looked over at where Will stood by the window. Will was wearing an odd expression at the moment, as he was currently half-smiling. He met Elizabeth's eyes and gave her a look back as if to say 'why not?' Elizabeth narrowed her eyes at this and exhaled deeply. She cleared her throat and turned back to face Jack.

"Jacquelyn likes to use me as her scapegoat. In the past, she has...covered me in molasses and flour, pelted me with mashed potatoes and smashed a pie in my face, and made me sit on a sandwich...to name a few things."

Jack looked at Elizabeth and tried not to laugh. "Sounds like a daughter of mine. Very well, I'm satisfied." He opened the cabin door, revealing Gibbs.

"Cap'n!" he said. "We've reached port."

"Good. We'll be out in a minute."

Gibbs nodded and retracted from the doorway, closing the door as he did so. Once he was gone, Jack turned back to Will and Elizabeth.

"I presume what I'm really trying to say is that I'm not sure if I'm ready to be a father right now. I've had absolutely no experience and given my current situation, I can't really father a child properly even if I wanted to."

Will nodded and went to stand beside his friend, putting an arm around his shoulders. "I can understand how you're feeling, Jack. The truth of the matter is, is that you have good reason to be frightened of fatherhood. It takes time to get settled in the parental role, but when you finally do, it feels fantastic."

Jack smirked at Will. "I'll take your word for it, mate. But for now, our primary concern needs to be working out a way to fight Calypso when she arrives."

"Don't worry. I already have something worked out."

About an hour later, every single crew member had departed the ship and were now inside the battalion of Port Royal, where British soldiers were running to and fro, preparing the town for an imminent attack.

At the moment, Jack and Will were standing on the top portion of the battalion, where the cannons and other massive weaponry were located for battle. More soldiers clad in red overcoats were loading the cannons and/or placing different weapons inside the small the holes designed for just the task. All of a sudden, the sunny sky was swallowed up by a swarm of clouds that quickly blocked off any sunlight and cast a large shadow over everything within its radius.

Jack solemnly gazed up at the cloud-covered sky and then back at Will. "She's here," he intoned seriously.


	4. Water Is A Weapon

Chapter 3

The surface of the ocean remained relatively calm, until it was violently broken by a massive ship with hellish features, which came through with its bow pointing upward and then forward once the ship had returned to the regular position. And once the vessel had fully emerged from the ocean and had also sailed a few feet, its black sails were released, causing the winds to blow in their direction and allow the ship to sail faster. The ship in question belonged to Calypso, and at the present time, she and her crew were standing upon the main deck, staring ahead at their destination: Port Royal.

The crew members were all holding their weapons either over their heads or straight ahead while they screamed in violent hunger. Every last one of them was ready for an attack, they were just waiting for the approval of their captain. However, Calypso was the only person aboard the ship not joining in on the raucous; she was simply standing in front of her vessel's railing, slightly separated from her crew, and she was concentrating on the locket draped around her neck. The locket itself was open and Calypso occupied herself by softly running her thumb over the glowing navy blue source, admiring the sheer beauty of the item and certainly not taking it for granted. The sea goddess then allowed her gaze to be momentarily torn away from said locket, and she now stared ahead at Port Royal, along with the rest of her crew.

Calypso concentrated hard on her surroundings, namely the weather conditions, while she gazed at the town that was only a short distance away. And shortly thereafter, the winds started to pick up and the ocean gradually became more violent while the sunshine from above was swallowed up by an onslaught of dark gray clouds over the course of a mere few seconds. And while this was all transpiring, Calypso's crew regarded these events with uncertainty, clearly not yet used to the fact that their captain could manipulate the weather and do whatever she wished with it at the drop of a hat. But Calypso paid no attention to the reactions of her minions; she just continued on with her task, unperturbed and unmoved. The next thing she did was to avert her gaze to the cloudy sky, and once she did that, Calypso's eyes became eerily blank and they glazed over so that instead of being a natural color, they were now the same color gray as the clouds in the sky. After a few moments of staring into the collection of clouds with that reflective gaze, a low rumbling became audible; the type of rumbling that signaled the arrival of a storm: thunder. The thunder was soon followed by lightning, which was also reflected in Calypso's eyes the very moment it appeared in the sky. Calypso then smiled a dangerous smile, and she trained her gaze back upon Port Royal.

Her first mate approached her in the same instant. "Orders, Captain?" he asked in a demonic tone of voice.

Calypso, her eyes still gray and reflective, gave her first mate the briefest of glances before refocusing back on Port Royal. "Right now, we wait," she responded plainly. "First, I want the people of Port Royal to experience firsthand just how cruel I can be."

The first mate smiled in sinister understanding. "Aye, Captain." He walked away, giving Calypso both her space and her silence. Both were necessary in order to accomplish what she intended to do.

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Meanwhile, the battalion had been overcome with confusion. Every soldier who had been going about their duty of preparing the weapons only moments before were now still and staring up at the cloudy sky with confounded expressions etched across their faces. Some were whispering to each other, attempting to figure out the meaning behind this sudden change in weather conditions. The wind had been gradually picking up, and it was now blowing against everyone on the battalion, hindering whatever progress they seemed to be making.

The only two people who did seem to be in the know, however, were Jack and Will. The only reason the soldiers hadn't apprehended Jack by now was that upon arriving in the battalion, Will had informed them all that Jack presented absolutely no threat to them whatsoever. And seeing as Will was currently the new Governor, no one showed any signs of protest. But presently, Jack and Will were standing near the edge of the roof of the battalion, where they were accompanied by other soldiers as well, and Jack was peering through a spyglass; he was scanning the distant horizon, searching for any indication of Calypso. He didn't get one until the spyglass passed over a ghastly ship that was sitting peacefully on an ocean that was anything but peaceful. Jack swung the spyglass back to where it had passed the vessel seconds before and stared intently through the hole that magnified the large craft. He adjusted his view until he had a crystal-clear view of the ship's occupants...and Jack was met with the sight of countless henchmen who had both oceanic and demonic features about them and the sole person who seemed to reign supreme over them: a beautiful woman adorned in a wardrobe that combined the look of a pirate with the look of a Goddess. There was no denying who this particular blonde-haired woman was. Gulping nervously, Jack lowered the spyglass.

"Is it her?" he heard Will ask.

Jack nodded silently, a look of fear upon his face. He could do nothing else except hold out the spyglass for Will to take, which he did, and continue to stare out at the ship that posed a threat to him.

Beside Jack, Will squinted through the spyglass in order to ascertain a satisfactory view of what seemed to be unsettling Jack so. Through the magnifying instrument, Will saw exactly what Jack had seen only moments before. But Will took a particular interest in what the woman he came to the conclusion was Calypso was doing. She appeared to be looking at Port Royal with a blank expression and as far as Will could tell, there were no pupils in her eyes.

Will lowered the spyglass and opened his mouth to mention this to Jack, but before he could do so, raindrops began to fall from the sky at a steady pace. The rain wasn't too strong, but Will could guess that it would soon get to be so in a short period of time.

"Curious," Will heard a soldier nearby say to his comrade. "I've never seen a storm come up like this so suddenly."

"It's not a curious thing at all. It's common if you're familiar with Calypso's methods," Jack said as he retook the spyglass from Will's hands and used it to get a second look at what Calypso was doing. "Just as I suspected. She's creating all of this."

"Do you think she intends to unleash a massive attack on the town using only water?" inquired Will.

Jack turned to face Will, the spyglass still leveled. "It's not _only water_, mate. To Calypso, water is a weapon. One that yields results."

Will shoved the spyglass away from Jack's eye and gave him a stern look. "Do you mind?"

Jack grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, mate."

"So should I consider this rainstorm a prelude to something worse?"

"Take from me, someone who's familiar with Calypso's work...yes."

Will nodded and motioned for a nearby soldier to come forth; he did. "Send some men out into the town to protect civilians. We should anticipate something that could potentially threaten everyone here."

The soldier nodded. "Should any civilians in the streets be ordered inside, Governor?"

Will allowed himself only a few seconds to think about the question. "Yes, that would probably be the best course of action."

The soldier showed his understanding and promptly dashed away to pass on the message. Will went to rejoin Jack at the edge of the roof when a sudden thought struck him. "Elizabeth!"

"What about her?" Jack asked.

"I just remembered...She went with Michael and Jacquelyn to the prison in order to find Jacquelyn's mother."

"So?" Jack shrugged. "Just send out an order for her to be brought back here."

Will stared at Jack briefly before running off to find a soldier and tell them to do just that.

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Elizabeth, though, was already inside the town prison...along with Michael and Jacquelyn. They had already checked in with the warden and as a security precaution, Elizabeth had been forced to leave her sword with the warden until they returned from the cells. Elizabeth and the two children were there to free Mary Thomas, Jacquelyn's mother, from prison; and appropriately, they were currently being escorted to her cell by a guard who possessed the keys to said cell. Being the wife of the newly appointed Governor, Elizabeth did carry the authority to override Barnet's reason for having Mary imprisoned and thus allow her to be set free.

The group finished descending the stairway leading to the collection of cells that held every single prisoner there and they all walked to their left, heading in the direction of Mary's cell. As they walked along the hallway, if you could even call it that, all of the dirty and filthy inmates of the prison goggled at Elizabeth, hooting and hollering at the sight of such a beautiful woman; very rarely were they treated with the honor of a woman visiting them. Elizabeth paid no attention to the catcalls and offers of more intimate things, however, and she kept walking without even batting an eye at the ingrates. The guard accompanying them did, though, and he quickly went over to the barred doors and made rather harsh threats to them, telling all of them to desist in their behavior unless they wished to receive cruel and unusual punishment. That seemed to deter the prisoners enough to cause them to stop and they went back to the ways they had developed for passing the time.

The guard then rejoined Elizabeth and the children. They were only a short distance away from Mary's cell, and they were able to reach it within a few more seconds. Once they came to a halt in front of the iron bar door, the guard inserted the proper key into the lock, turned it, and pulled the door open. Elizabeth, Michael and Jacquelyn stepped in, all three of them immediately spotting the form of Mary lying on the stone floor. Elizabeth was the first to reach her, and she cautiously came closer to Mary's body, under the impression that she had fallen asleep. She tried gently shaking her shoulder as a first tactic.

"Mary?" Elizabeth said in the tone one would use to wake a sleeping person. "Mary? Mary, can you hear me?"

Elizabeth then decided to roll Mary on her side, thinking the movement might be enough to wake her, but Mary's eyes still didn't open. At that moment, Jacquelyn came to Elizabeth's side, clearly wanting to help.

"Mama? Mama, I'm here. Please wake up...come on." Jacquelyn tried shaking Mary at different parts of her body, but nothing seemed to be working. She looked up at Elizabeth, confused. "Why won't she wake up?"

Elizabeth shrugged. "I don't know." She turned back to the guard. "Get the warden. Now." Her voice contained mounting urgency. After the guard had left, Elizabeth whipped back around to Mary, her thoughts now taking a turn for the worst. With shaking hands, she placed two fingers on Mary's throat, checking for a pulse. She felt none.

Elizabeth gasped and covered her mouth with her hand, unable to control herself. Jacquelyn looked at Elizabeth, even more confused than before.

"What's wrong, Mrs. Turner?" she asked.

Instead of answering, Elizabeth took hold of Jacquelyn and pulled her closer, holding her in the most affectionate way she could. Michael stepped closer to his mother as well, just as the guard and warden raced into the cell and went to examine Mary's body.

They went through the same motions as Elizabeth, making their best attempts to awaken Mary, but to no avail. All the while, Jacquelyn was clutching Elizabeth's leg fearfully, tears now running down her cheeks. Elizabeth picked Jacquelyn up and held her in her arms. Finally, after endless minutes, the warden got to his feet and solemnly approached Elizabeth.

"I'm sorry. She's gone."

Jacquelyn buried her head in Elizabeth's shoulder and really began to cry now. Michael looked up at his best friend and found that he too couldn't help shedding tears; Elizabeth noticed this and tenderly grabbed her son's hand.

"How? And for how long?"

"At the moment, the cause of death is indeterminable...but since there seem to be no wounds of any kind, I would say that it was internal. Perhaps she got ill." The warden eyed Jacquelyn somberly and cleared his throat. "Mrs. Turner, perhaps it would be best if you...went somewhere else?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "No. We're going to stay here for the moment. So, could you give us some privacy?"

The warden nodded. "Of course."

He and the guard left the cell as Elizabeth took the two children over to sit on the cell's bench so that they could continue grieving.

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Back on the battalion, Will was assisting the soldiers who were busying themselves with loading the cannons. He was crouched low, so his view of the sea was obstructed by the small bit of wall that the cannons poked through. As Will went about loading the heavy black weapon, Jack had the task of keeping an eye on Calypso and her ship using the spyglass. Will glanced up momentarily at Jack and asked him a question as he carried on with his own duty.

"Is there any indication of an attack?"

Jack didn't respond at once; he kept peering through the spyglass and by this time something had clearly captured his full attention. He became more interested on what he was seeing on the opposite side and attempted to focus the spyglass more clearly.

Will noticed this and queried further. "What is it? What do you see?"

Jack abruptly brought the spyglass down to his side, an expression mixing shock with anxiety now on his face. "Well...it appears as if Calypso is indeed attacking."

"How?" asked Will without moving.

Jack cleared his throat nervously before answering. "She's doing it...in waves."

"You mean she's sending a certain number of her men out?"

"No...I mean...well, come see for yourself." Jack grabbed Will's arm and dragged him to his feet so that he had a clear view of the horizon.

"Jack! What're you..."

Will lost his voice, however, once he saw what Jack had. Firstly, Will noticed that he could no longer see Calypso's ship; the view was blocked by something. And that something happened to be a gigantic tidal wave that reached high into the air...and that tidal wave was coming toward Port Royal.

Will's eyes widened upon seeing the enormous tidal wave and soon, he was calling out to his soldiers and running toward them. "TO ARMS! BRACE FOR IMPACT!"

"And what exactly are we bracing for?" asked one of the soldiers.

Will pointed madly at the oncoming tidal wave. The soldier followed Will's finger and when he saw what he was pointing at, he had pretty much the same reaction as Will. He raced through the battalion, shouting sat the top of his lungs about the tidal wave.

As he did so, Will turned to Jack. "Elizabeth's not back yet. When that tidal wave hits the town, it'll sweep through the streets, claiming every living soul in its path." He paused. "I've got to go find her."

Will made to run away, but Jack halted him by putting a hand on his shoulder. "Are you mad? You've got to stay on high ground, otherwise that tidal wave will surely take you."

"I'm willing to take that chance," Will replied evenly. That being said, he dashed away to exit the battalion.

Jack watched him go, sighed and rolled his eyes. "Nobility. So irksome." And then, Jack did the only thing that came to mind: he followed Will.

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Calypso observed her tidal wave's progress from behind, her eyes normal again and a satisfied smile stamped across her lips. Her first mate was standing right beside her, staring at the enormous wall of water as well.

"Do you believe one tidal wave will be sufficient enough?"

"Never judge by appearances," said Calypso. "What looks to you like a tidal wave is actually a form of transportation for my decidedly..._unique_ warriors."

"Warriors?"

"You'll see. In good time, that is."

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Will, with Jack right behind him, raced through the streets of Port Royal, his destination the town prison. The duo passed soldiers who were busy shepherding any remaining civilians into their houses or other buildings. Finally, they reached the prison and dashed inside without hesitation.

The pair ran down the stairs leading to the cells and out of instinct, took a sharp left and kept on sprinting until they reached a cell door that stood ajar. Will and Jack came to a halt directly outside the door and caught their breath while looking inside. What they saw was the immobile body of Mary Thomas lying in the center of the jail cell and sitting to the side on the bench was Elizabeth, who was tenderly holding both Michael and Jacquelyn.

Somewhat cautiously, and with his eyes still upon Mary's dead body, Will walked over to where Elizabeth and the children sat. He bent down in front of them. "What happened?" he asked Elizabeth softly.

Elizabeth replied in a voice that caused her to seem distant. "We came here to set Mary free because Barnet obviously imprisoned her on false charges, but when we arrived, we found her this way...dead."

Jacquelyn started to cry even harder at the mention of the word 'dead'.

Will sighed deeply and rubbed Jacquelyn's back affectionately. He could understand how it felt to lose a loved one at such a young age. But Will reminded himself that they couldn't spare any time at all; they had to get out of there right away.

"Elizabeth, listen. Calypso is on the outskirts of the town and she's just created a massive tidal wave that's heading directly for us. We need to get out of here immediately."

Elizabeth's eyes widened. "What? Are you sure?"

"Yes. I personally saw the tidal wave. We have to move now."

Elizabeth silently agreed and she began to explain the situation to Jacquelyn. At the same time, Will scooped Michael up into his arms and waited for Elizabeth to do the same with Jacquelyn. Once she had, both of them raced out of the cell and along with Jack, exited the prison as quickly as they could.

"What about the other prisoners?" Elizabeth asked on their way out.

"There isn't enough time. They'll just have to do whatever they can to survive," answered Will.

Moments later, they were back outside in the streets of Port Royal, and time was running out. Jack, Will and Elizabeth all looked desperately around, searching for the proper escape route.

"What direction is the ocean from here?" Elizabeth inquired.

"I think that way," said Jack, pointing East.

All of them began to run in that direction, that is until Will spotted the oncoming wall of water through the gaps in the town buildings...and it was coming fast. Jack and Elizabeth, who was still carrying Jacquelyn, were in front of him and Will knew that he had to make them get out of the way.

"Nonononononono...MOVE!" he shouted.

Will raced forward and grabbed Elizabeth's right arm. He then pulled her along a few feet before she wrenched free of his grasp in confusion.

"Will, what are you doing?"

Will simply pointed behind her toward the oncoming water. Elizabeth turned around to see what all the commotion was about, and when she did, she gasped and ran alongside her husband; Jack was right behind them. Still holding the children in their arms, Will and Elizabeth stayed in the lead as the massive wall of water gradually began to gain on them; at this point, the rain had become more aggressive. After running quite a few feet, Will decided to sneak a glance behind him in order to get an idea of where the flood was, but he immediately regretted it. He saw that the flood was quickly gaining on them, and Will knew that the five of them had to find somewhere to escape the wall of water as it passed them by. Will began to look around desperately for an escape route, and found one.

"THIS WAY!" he yelled, taking Elizabeth into his arms yet again and dashing off to the right, where an open building awaited; Jack, as always, was right on their heels.

They all entered the vacant building with great haste, making sure to shut the door and any open windows. Will and Elizabeth set Michael and Jacquelyn down on the floor and went back to the closed door. Both of them pressed their palms against it in an attempt to hold it in place while the flood raced by outside.

Sure enough, there came a great rumbling as the gigantic tidal wave finally reached the part of Port Royal where Jack, Will, Elizabeth and the kids were. The ground shook violently, as well as everything else in the vicinity. Will and Elizabeth struggled hard to keep their balance as the flood persisted; there were indeed times when they were nearly knocked off their feet. But just as soon as the great trembling began, it abruptly stopped.

Everything was suddenly back to normal, and the only water-related sound coming from outside that was audible was the noise of the still-falling rain. Curious, Jack crossed the length of the room they were all currently in and opened the window he came to. He peered carefully outside, searching for the cause of the sudden change.

"What the bloody hell...?" he murmured to himself.

"What is it?" Will asked him.

"There's absolutely no evidence to suggest that a flood ever occurred here, that's what it is. Although, it's still raining hard...that's for sure."

"Is there any sign of Calypso out there?" said Elizabeth.

Jack waited a moment before answering, his eyes obviously scanning the area within his sight in order to provide an honest answer. At last, he replied to the question. "Not from what I can see. Do you think it would be safe to venture outside anyway?" He looked to Will for the answer.

Will just shrugged. "Well, if there's no sign of any danger...then I don't see why not."

He then slowly pulled open the door and looked outside to be met with the sight of a deserted street, no sign of a recent flood of water coming through the streets whatsoever, and the shower of rain that was still falling from the storm clouds above. Will, not being able to shake a slight feeling of foreboding, placed his hand lightly on the hilt of his sword and stepped out into the rain slowly. Will's eyes darted all around, prepared for any attack that may rear its ugly head.

And as he predicted it would, danger did indeed show itself in the form of an attack once Will had reached the center of the road. It happened so fast and so sudden, that Will almost didn't see it coming in the split-second before it did.

From out of thin air came a figure made of what was undoubtedly water, partly formed by the rain. The watery figure materialized in thin air and came zooming at Will, knocking him into the air and ultimately to the ground a few feet from where he had originally been standing. Will collided with the ground hard, the impact slightly knocking the wind out of him. Will sat up, regaining his breath and clearing his head by shaking it in the midst of the rain still falling. He looked over to see what had done this and received a surprise.

There, slowly materializing on the road, was a large figure being forged by liquid. But the liquid creating this figure didn't come from the endless rainstorm, it came from liquid that seemed to have nothing to do with the rain. The water in question first created the outline of a muscular figure, and once the basic outline had been completed, the more intimate features made themselves more distinct. The skin of this figure was pale, as if he had hardly seen any sunlight at all, and the man was adorned in black clothes that had mysterious symbols woven into the fabric along the edges and portions of the middle. This person, if Will could even call him that with absolute certainty, had a stony expression and hard jaw, although he lacked any genuine weapons as far as Will could tell.

However, that irregularity was soon erased from Will's mind, as the water warrior extended his right arm fully; the result was a massive collection of the falling raindrops swarming toward the warrior's hand and quickly forming a huge and lethal-looking sword. The warrior grinned threateningly at Will and in response, Will unsheathed his own weapon. He then made to advance upon the warrior, but another supernatural occurrence caused him to stop in his tracks.

All around the first water warrior, countless others were being created from liquid and each of them was as large and menacing as the last. And just like the first warrior, the new ones were able to manipulate the rain falling around them and create swords from it. Now, not only was there one water warrior to deal with, but numerous ones. Each of them raised their weapons in pre-battle poses, challenging Will to a grueling duel.

But before Will could do anything else, there came from his side a short gasp and an exclamation of surprise.

"Holy bugger!"

Will looked to his right, where Jack's voice had come from, and saw that he was standing there with Elizabeth. Both of them were staring wide-eyed at the newly formed water warriors.

"This is impossible!" exclaimed Elizabeth over the torrential rain.

Jack scoffed and regarded her with slight disbelief. "Lizzie, you should realize by now that 'impossible' is _always_ possible when in my good company."

As Elizabeth gave a considerate expression to that comment, Will called out to them. "I could use some help over here if it's not too much to ask!"

"Right," said Jack to Elizabeth. "What say we lend a helping hand to your beloved whelp?" He then whipped out his sword and dashed to Will's side.

Elizabeth took a brief moment to roll her eyes at Jack and placed her hand at the spot where her sword should have been, but was met with the feeling of her hip. She looked down to discover the empty sheath strapped around her waist, and then Elizabeth suddenly remembered: her sword was still in the warden's office at the prison.

"Great," Elizabeth muttered to herself, "just great."

She looked up to find that both Will and Jack had already begun to fight the water warriors.

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However, Elizabeth Turner wasn't the only person observing the duel in the streets of Port Royal at the moment. Back on her ship, Calypso cupped her precious and mystical locket tenderly in her palms. She was staring intently into the locket's center; the trinket's powers were causing it to serve as a sort of window for the fight transpiring right then, showing its master the progress of her special minions. Calypso's first mate was looking in on the scene as well by peering over his captain's shoulder.

"The mortals seem to be holding up surprisingly well," he observed, indicating Jack's and Will's prowess with a blade.

Calypso nodded. "For now. But they'll soon discover that my water warriors are literally unbeatable. They have orders to make our friends seek refuge in the Governor's mansion. That is where I plan on meeting face-to-face with Jack Sparrow."

"But don't you need to be inside the town in order to do that?"

Calypso smirked. "All in due time."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Will was furiously fighting, surrounded by three of the water warriors. He spun around, making his sword deflect each and every swipe of a sword aimed at him. Will the plunged his blade deep into the chest of the closest warrior, but found that it had absolutely no effect. The only obvious effect it had, though, was that there came a sickening _squelch _when Will's sword pierced what was supposedly skin. Will let out a disgusted sound while dodging another blow by ducking, coming back up to full height, and punching the other warrior who attempted to do the same thing. Will's fist made contact with the face, but the instant it did, the face of the warrior evaporated into pure water and reformed good as new only seconds later. Next, Will swiped his sword from the leaking chest of the warrior he had stabbed earlier, made to land another lethal blow, but was knocked backward by a fierce jet of water that hit him square in the chest.

Will went flying past Jack, who was busy dueling water demons of his own, and crashed into an empty wheelbarrow lying discarded on the side of the street. The wheelbarrow broke completely under Will's weight and sent him crashing down a few more inches, now even more dazed than he already was. After that, Will just lay there, starting to regain both his bearings and his strength.

Meanwhile, Jack carried on fighting the water warriors he had ended up with. He swished and swiped with his sword, slicing through the chests of some warriors horizontally from time to time, but it didn't do anything to wound or slow down his opponents at all. Frustrated, Jack attempted to kick the warrior facing him in the shins, but the moment Jack's boot made contact with the warrior's leg, the leg morphed into a column of water...much like the face of the other warrior Will had tried to punch. Jack withdrew his booted foot immediately, not wishing for anything weird to happen to it.

"I must admit...Calypso _is_ rather clever."

Jack flipped his sword in midair, caught it, spun on his heel to deliver what he hoped to be a fatal blow...but was stopped by a forceful jab to his cheek. The punch fazed him enough to cause him to become momentarily disoriented; disoriented enough to make him not see the jet of water directed toward his chest. The jet, just like it had done to Will, caused Jack to go flying backward through the air and land next to Will.

They both glanced at each other knowingly and nodded. "Hi," Jack greeted Will in a mock-formal tone.

But when Jack went flying through the air, so did his sword. In fact, it went flying in the direction of Elizabeth, who was currently without a weapon. Out the corner of her eye, Elizabeth spotted the sword falling from the air in her direction, so she sidestepped a blow and caught Jack's sword with her awaiting hand behind her back. Then, Elizabeth brought forth her salvation by swinging the sword in front of her and successfully deflected a sword which had been bearing down upon her. Elizabeth connected swords with the water warrior in front of her and summoned up some of het inner strength in order to shove both blades to the side, which automatically freed Jack's sword from the struggle.

The water warrior then tried to sideswipe Elizabeth, but Elizabeth saw this coming and half-spun to allow the sword in her hand to meet her adversary's. And then Elizabeth, unaware of the warriors' liquid-like structures, jabbed her foot into the chest of her opponent, only to have it go straight through the barrier without it ever making any true contact with something solid. Elizabeth regarded this action with surprise and tried to remove her foot, but the water warrior smiled a sinister smile and closed his eyes. This caused his watery chest to retake its solid form, closing in around Elizabeth's foot, keeping it where it was and not allowing it to move. Elizabeth struggled with all her might, but her foot just wouldn't budge.

As Elizabeth continued to try to get her foot free, the water warrior grabbed Jack's sword, wrenched it from Elizabeth's grasp, and tossed it away.

The sword went skidding and clanging toward the place where Jack and Will still sat recuperating and came to a halt in front of Jack's feet. Jack looked at his sword and scooped it up.

"Thanks!" he called to the water warrior, who was now holding Elizabeth tightly by the shoulders. "I was wondering if I would get this back."

He looked at Will, who in turn was looking on at the scene involving his wife and the water warrior with fear in his eyes.

The water warrior had now managed to get a hold of Elizabeth, who was furiously struggling in his grasp. Elizabeth made many attempts to free herself by somehow injuring her attacker, but to no avail. The water warrior gave her one last look that emanated a sense of authority before throwing Elizabeth into the air, this time without using a jet of water.

Elizabeth came down and landed in a different wheelbarrow on the opposite side of the road, this one filled with assorted fruits, all of which splattered when Elizabeth crashed down upon them. Elizabeth moaned, now stained with the juice from the fruits, and felt a pair of hands help her sit up. She opened her eyes to see that the pair of hands belonged to her son, and Jacquelyn was helping Michael in his task as well.

At the same time, Will and Jack came racing over, ducking and diving to avoid jets of water from the warriors as they did so. Once the pair of them reached the fruit wheelbarrow, Will finished the job of hauling his wife out of it and gracefully set her on her feet.

"They're indestructible!" Will shouted to Jack.

"No," Jack replied, "just composed of water."

"We can't keep fighting them," said Elizabeth. "We'll just keep getting beat like this."

"Good point," agreed Jack. "But how do we escape pirates made of water in the middle of a rainstorm?"

Before anyone could answer, a peculiar sound filled their ears. The sound was comparable to the whirling of a tornado, only there wasn't any visible sign of a tornado. But the wind was definitely picking up and as a result, the rain falling close to Jack, his daughter and the Turners began to swirl around as if it were the invisible tornado. And a few seconds later, that's exactly what it turned into.

A miniature tornado which was incorporating the rain and which was also gradually pulling up the people it was surrounding into the air. Jack, Will and Elizabeth each tried to stay on the ground while Michael clung to his parents and Jacquelyn to Jack, which ended up being rather awkward for Jack. While they were all being lifted up into the air, Will and Elizabeth grabbed hold of their son tightly and Jack attempted to do the same, although it felt disconcerting holding the child who was apparently his daughter.

By now, they were all a good distance away from the ground. And it wasn't until this point that Jack, Will and Elizabeth realized that this tornado of sorts was taking them somewhere...because they were still flying, but gliding in a certain direction, against their will. Will was the one to look ahead in order to get a proper sense of their bearings.

Will was able to conclude that they were heading toward the Governor's mansion, because they were beginning to descend toward it...and at an alarming rate.

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Calypso was observing all of this from where she stood upon the deck of her ship and felt an immense sense of satisfaction when she saw the figures that were obviously the people she was about to meet fall toward the Governor's mansion. Smiling to herself, Calypso placed the locket of hers back around her neck and turned to face her first mate.

"I have business matters to discuss with Captain Jack Sparrow. I will return shortly...and hopefully with a new ship."

After those words had been said, Calypso's form evaporated into thin air, leaving no trace of her behind.


	5. Negotiations

Chapter 4

Jack, Will and Elizabeth all braced themselves for the collision they were about to make with the roof of the Governor's mansion, grabbing Michael and Jacquelyn tighter as they did so. The five of them were only inches away from the solid roof, still being carried by the mysterious tornado...but the crash through the roof never came. Instead, when they were supposed to collide hard with the roof, their fast pace of falling slowed considerably, and Jack and the others floated through the roof instead of crashing into it; the roof itself opened up as if it were an enormous mouth. Once that was done, Jack, Jacquelyn and the Turners floated down safely and came to rest upon the hardwood floors of the mansion.

Jack was the first to pick himself up and observe their entry point. The roof from which they all had fallen in from was solid and smooth, with no visible signs that it had magically opened up to allow five people to fall through it. Then, Jack cleared his head and helped Jacquelyn to her feet as Will and Elizabeth picked themselves up off the floor as well, along with Michael. Everyone was soaked to the skin as a result of being in the relentless rainstorm. And Elizabeth still had the stains of fruit juice at different places all over her clothes. Jack eyed her and spoke up.

"Like I said, when you're with me...the impossible is always possible." Jack tried to quell his sense of unease by taking in his new surroundings. "Charming decor." He then pulled his pistol from its holster and checked to make sure that it was loaded.

"I take it we should be expecting company?" asked Will.

Jack finished checking his weapon and pulled back the hammer. "Well, seeing as Calypso is now in human form, I would presume that she's susceptible to injuries, since she's in such a vulnerable state and all."

Raising his pistol so that it was level with his head, Jack let his eyes scan the room that they were currently in. The only light came from what was outside and spilling in through the open windows, and considering that it was very cloudy outside, the room was only dimly lit. But all of a sudden, the fireplace on the far wall roared to life with great flames that illuminated the entire room.

Will and Elizabeth looked around and realized that they were in the Governor's study. And as a precaution, Will once again placed his hand lightly on the hilt of his sword; he had managed to slip it back into its sheath before being whisked away to here.

"You know," said Jack, "if we weren't in this current predicament, I would've said that was unsettling." He indicated the now crackling fireplace with his pistol.

"You mean it's still not unsettling either way?" said Elizabeth sarcastically.

Jack shrugged. "Valid point, luv."

"But that's precisely what dark magic needs to be: unsettling," came an eerily calm female voice from the shadows.

Everyone whipped around in the direction the voice had originated, but couldn't see anything at first glance. Even though the fire cast a brilliant orange light around the study, there were still some parts of the room that were enshrouded in darkness. And that was where the cool female voice had come from.

Jack leveled his pistol, aiming it in the direction he was facing. "Calypso?" He could do nothing to mask the tone of fear in his voice.

From a shadowy corner of the study, Calypso emerged from the darkness, almost as if the blackness was a blanket that she carelessly removed in one graceful motion. The firelight brought her features into absolute clarity, giving the Goddess the appearance of a woman whose beauty could be used as a tool of deception. A woman who could charm and deceive in the same instant; a woman whom you instinctively felt you should hate, but couldn't help be enchanted by at the same time. Calypso's face was angelic, accentuated by the lustrous blonde hair that fell over her shoulders. And if her face wasn't enough to convey the fact that this woman was a Goddess in human form, then her physical build certainly would have made it apparent.

Calypso's body was one that only a Goddess could have. Her curves could be described as both elegant and simply perfect. Her slender form was enough to make any man infatuated over her, desiring the pleasure of exploring that body more intimately the moment their eyes came to rest upon her. And Calypso's wardrobe only enhanced that sense of lust for the men she entranced. Calypso then moved into the light from the fireplace, so as to make her presence more pronounced, and yet another feature about her was thrown into sharp relief. Her movements were graceful and intoxicating, in the sense that Calypso could mesmerize a man with something as simple as placing stray strands of her hair behind her ear. But even more intoxicating was her smile, which possibly had the power to hypnotize a man easily.

And right now, Calypso used that to her advantage as she smiled at Jack as if his aiming a gun at her was a form of flattery. "So, we meet again, Jack Sparrow." Calypso made her voice as sweet as possible. "And much like our previous convocation, it's under decidedly _desperate_ circumstances."

"How d'you arrive at that conclusion?" asked Jack with as much bravery as he could muster.

"Well, last time we met, you were in desperate need of a way to escape the clutches of the British Royal Navy. And now, you're in desperate need of an alternative option so that you may elude fulfilling your end of a certain bargain we made. Do you remember that bargain, Jack? And the specific terms of it?"

Without lowering his pistol, Jack answered. "Actually, my memory _is_ rather spotty, so I can't be completely sure ab–..."

"Jack," Calypso interrupted, "there's no use trying to talk your way out of this. We made an accord, and I expect you to uphold your end of it."

Jack didn't miss a beat. "And if I don't?"

"Then, suffice it to say that the consequences of your refusal to cooperate will be unpleasant."

"What consequences are you talking about, exactly?"

Calypso shook her head sadly and smirked. "What I'm talking about is if you don't decide to hand over the Pearl, then I'll coerce you to do so by forcing you to watch as I allow my men to torture your friends."

She indicated where Jacquelyn and the Turners were standing, and Jack turned around to see four ghoulish figures emerge from the wall behind them. They surreptitiously crept up on Jack's compatriots and suddenly grabbed them all by their shoulders, proceeding to place sharp blades at each of their throats. Will and Elizabeth struggled the hardest against their captors, but Calypso's goons showed no signs of relinquishing their hold anytime soon.

"Now," said Calypso, her voice tearing Jack's gaze away from the Turners and Jacquelyn, "can we conduct our business properly?"

Jack spent many silent moments staring at Calypso with calculating eyes, before a thought suddenly sprang to mind. "Tell me, what's to stop me from simply shooting you?"

Calypso shrugged. "Well, as you said, since I'm in such a _vulnerable state_...I am more prone to being affected by mortal weapons such as pistols." She lowered her gaze to the item in question, which was still being held tightly in Jack's hand. Calypso then continued on in a suspiciously relaxed tone of voice. "However, considering the fact that I was more than able to create that _nasty_ storm a while ago, I would presume that it would have something to do with this interesting locket." Calypso's voice had now become sarcastic, and she fingered the locket draped around her neck rather proudly. "Curious thing, wouldn't you say, Jack? I mean, after all, I am a Goddess. And being a Goddess, wouldn't it make sense for me to possess an object...much like a locket, that could allow me to harness a desired amount of my full power so that I would be able to carry on with my ability to do anything?"

Jack didn't say anything; he just kept looking at Calypso with an unreadable expression. So, Calypso carried on.

"So, be my guest and fire your best shot. But I highly implore you to consider that my locket will not allow me to die at the hands of a mere mortal such as yourself, Jack Sparrow." Calypso paused to present Jack with the opportunity to do just that, but he hesitated. "No? Very well." Calypso then extended her hand, and Jack's pistol flew from his grasp and soared straight into the awaiting hand of the sea goddess. "I'll just hold onto this for the time being."

Jack made himself relax and he felt his muscles do so as well because they had been incredibly tense moments before.

"Now do I have your complete attention?" Calypso asked expectantly.

"Alright Calypso...I'm listening intently."

"Indeed," said Calypso, smiling while nodding. "Well, I believe that I've effectively gotten my point across: I want your ship, as we agreed upon."

Jack took a moment to answer, partly because he was thinking about something that Calypso had previously said. He spread his arms wide. "And I'm more than willing to hand it over."

The response elicited sounds of shock from Will and Elizabeth, who were still being restrained by Calypso's henchmen. "Jack!" exclaimed Elizabeth. "What are you doing?"

Calypso, meanwhile, was eyeing Jack suspiciously. "Yes, what _are_ you doing?"

Jack shrugged innocently. "Nothing. Simply negotiating. That's how these things work, after all."

"But there _is nothing_ to negotiate. You either hand over the Black Pearl, or watch your friends suffer immensely."

"Au contraire," said Jack as he raised a finger. "Before we carry on with our little business transaction, I require something to be clarified for good measure."

"That being...?"

"You said no mere mortal could kill you. Exactly who, or what, possesses the ability to do that?"

Calypso narrowed her eyes. "Why do you ask?"

"No particular reason," Jack said casually. "But let's think hypothetically for a moment, shall we? Suppose you died at the hand of the person, or thing, that has the power to kill you. And suppose that it happens while my ship is in your possession. Would I get my ship back then?" Jack glanced at Calypso, who was looking at him curiously. "This is all _hypothetical,_ of course," he added quickly.

"And how is it that you arrived at the conclusion that there is something –..."

"Or some_one_."

"...out there with the power to kill a Goddess?"

"That's easy," replied Jack airily. "You just said that a mere mortal couldn't kill you. But what if there was a mortal who wasn't mere at all?"

Calypso tried her best to skirt around the subject. "Meaning...?"

"Meaning what if there was a mortal who had been chosen as the one to kill a certain God, or Goddess, whose thirst for power was so insatiable that the other Gods decided to do just that? Entrust a mortal with the power to kill a Goddess." Jack took on a mock interested expression. "Sounds farfetched, doesn't it?"

Calypso shrugged. "Highly."

"But somehow, my theory seems logical...which surprises even me, I might add." Jack stopped to observe Calypso, whose demeanor had suddenly turned nervous. "And it's all true, isn't it? There _is_ someone out there just destined to kill you."

Calypso and Jack then became engaged in a staring contest until finally, Calypso gave in. "Very well, Jack. What is it that you want?"

"An extension, seeing as how I'm not quite ready to hand over my ship." As Jack said this, Calypso crossed the length of the study to come to stand directly in front of the captives. Once she reached them, Calypso spun around on her heel.

"And what exactly do you plan on doing during this extension if I so choose to grant it to you?"

"Let's make one more deal, shall we?" said Jack professionally. "During this extension, I admit that I'll be desperately searching for this unknown assassin. However, if I'm unable to locate said person in the allotted time, I'll willingly hand over the Pearl...therefore upholding my end of our original bargain. It'll give me one last fighting chance, eh?"

Calypso smiled, patting the barrel of Jack's pistol against her left palm. "An interesting proposal, to say the least. But I'm curious as to what you'll offer me that'll ensure your dedication to this new bargain."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying during your little escapade, what can I keep as collateral? After all, if I give you something, you have to give _me_ something. Standard business protocol."

Jack continued on in his business-like tone. "Before I offer you anything, we need to establish a time window for my search."

"Indeed," Calypso nodded as she thought. "I believe one week should be sufficient?"

"Fair enough," agreed Jack. "But first, I need to be given assurances that whatever I give to you will be returned to me in one piece once I complete my task or my time period expires."

Calypso smiled a smile that seemed to combine venom with honey. "You have the word of a Goddess, Jack Sparrow. And I assure you that the word of a Goddess is genuine."

"I'll take your word for it, then."

"But...I think it'll only be fair if I choose what I get to keep of yours. I mean, if _you_ were to choose, I'm afraid your opinion would be biased. Wouldn't you agree?

"I...suppose," Jack mumbled suspiciously.

"Excellent." Calypso then swivelled back around on her feet to once again face the captive comrades of Jack. Her eyes went from person to person, taking in their appearances with an air of patience. While still keeping her gaze fixed upon his friends, Calypso addressed Jack again. "I would think that taking a person who could be considered close to you more influential than simply taking a precious item of yours."

From behind her, Jack narrowed his eyes penetratingly at Calypso.

Meanwhile, Calypso paced purposefully in front of the Turners and Jacquelyn, carefully considering whom to take as a hostage. Finally, she stopped in front of Michael and Jacquelyn, her expression clearly stating what was on her mind.

"These children...who are their parents?"

"Us," Elizabeth spoke up, telling the lie with expert coolness. Both Will and Elizabeth knew that they couldn't risk having Jacquelyn kidnapped again, especially now that Jack knew he was her father.

"Both of them?" Calypso queried.

"Of course," Elizabeth replied evenly.

"Then tell me...how old are they?"

"Michael and Jacquelyn are both six." Elizabeth supplied the answer with no hint in her voice of it being a lie.

Calypso then trained her gaze upon Will to make sure that this was the truth. Of course, it wasn't, but neither Will nor Elizabeth were going to show any indication of that. Will's face was a complete mask, as he was able to let it be free of any giveaway signs. He stared back at Calypso sternly, and the intensity in his eyes intrigued Calypso deeply.

"You," she said to Will. "What's your name?"

Will hesitated a moment before answering, trying to figure out Calypso's game. Seeing no harm in revealing his name, Will obliged. "Will Turner."

Calypso proceeded in examining Will's physical structure, taking in every muscle that made his body so desirable to a woman. However, Elizabeth noticed what Calypso was doing and spat at her feet.

"You filthy woman!" Elizabeth snarled.

Quick as a flash, Calypso grabbed Elizabeth by the throat, wrenched her from the henchman's grasp, and shoved her against the wall. Will tried to do something, but was stopped by the minion holding onto him.

"Elizabeth!"

"Mum!"

Elizabeth was struggling to breathe now because Calypso was slowly tightening the hold she had on her neck. "If you ever treat me with such blatant disrespect again, I'll do more than just cut off your air supply. Do I make myself clear?"

Elizabeth nodded frantically, and to the best of her ability, given her current situation. She was then let down as Calypso suddenly relinquished her grip on her throat. Elizabeth hit the floor on her hands and knees, coughing and breathing in air at the same time.

Out the corner of her eye, Calypso spotted Will pull himself free of his captor's massive arms and rush forward to help Elizabeth; but Calypso was one step ahead of him. From the inside of her sleeve, Calypso summoned forth a small knife that fell from its confined hidden place and right into her awaiting hand. The moment the hilt was firmly within her fingers, Calypso furiously slashed at Will's oncoming chest. The sheer force of the surprise attack caused Will to stumble backward and fall to the floor. Fortunately, the tip of the blade only made contact with Will's shirt, instead of his flesh.

The resulting gash in Will's shirt revealed much of Will's upper chest...including a certain scar close to his neckline that was in the form of an hourglass with all of the sand inside of it located at the bottom half. Spreading out from behind the hourglass were two angel wings, with a frame surrounding the hourglass. And passing through that frame was the Grim Reaper's staff/blade. It was actually more of an imprint than a scar, and this imprint caught Calypso's eyes and glued them to it.

"The mark of The Angel Assassin," the sea goddess breathed in fear and awe.

Will looked down at his chest and saw the imprint, and his reaction to it was one of genuine surprise. "What is that? How did it get there?" He tried to move, but his body was frozen in its place out of shock.

By now, Elizabeth had picked herself up off the floor and was looking at what was causing the silence that had enveloped the study. She stared at the imprint on Will's chest and gasped, placing her hand to her mouth.

Calypso turned to face Jack, clearing her throat. "I've made my decision. I'll take Mr. Turner."

Jack let his gaze travel back and forth between Calypso and Will, gradually coming to the conclusion that the new imprint on Will's chest resonated with Calypso somehow. He smiled kindly. "Done," he said, confirming that they now had a deal.

"_Un_done," Will countered abruptly. "Jack, what do you think you're doing?"

"Negotiating," Jack answered briefly. "Redone." He confirmed the deal for the second time.

"Undone again," Elizabeth interjected. "Jack, do you even have the faintest idea of what you're doing?!"

"Don't I always? Will goes with Calypso for one week while my crew and I search for the person who can guarantee me a reprieve. _Non-negotiable_," he added, more for the benefit of Will and Elizabeth.

The couple in question fixed Jack with the sternest of stares, their displeasure made abundantly clear.

"Time and tide, mates." Jack shrugged innocently to both of them.

Calypso, however, was leaning toward Jack expectantly. "So...do we have an accord?"

Without hesitating, Jack stuck out his hand. "You bet."

Calypso smiled and took Jack's hand, shaking it in turn. "Remember, Jack...one week. If you haven't succeeded by then, our deal expires and the Black Pearl becomes mine."

"There's really no need to stress that point more than need be. I fully understand what's at stake here."

"Good."

And with that, Calypso snapped her fingers. From out of thin air, iron chains appeared and magically secured themselves around Will's ankles and wrists. The henchman who had been securing Will earlier stepped forward and roughly grabbed Will by the shoulders, beginning to haul him away.

Elizabeth ran forward to try and stop it, but was thrown backward against the wall by one casual sweep of Calypso's hand.

"Mum!"

Michael raced over to his mother's side in order to help her up, but by that time, Calypso had vanished into thin air along with her bulky goons and Will. Where they all once stood was now empty space.

"WILL!" Elizabeth's voice was full of anguish and desperation. She tried to run after them, but Michael held her down and hugged his mother tightly. Eventually, Elizabeth calmed down and draped her arms around her son, hugging him close.

Jack then approached them, a serious expression on his face. "Listen, we don't have much time. We need to get going now."

Elizabeth looked up at Jack with pained eyes. "Don't you dare speak to me." Her voice wasn't sharp, but it still carried the aching feeling inside her heart. "You gave Will up for your own purposes...with absolutely no consideration for how we felt about it. Now, who knows if we'll get Will back at all? Calypso may just decide to kill him in one week."

"All the more reason for us to get back on the Pearl. I'm going to need your help here, Elizabeth."

"Why should I help you?"

"Because you want Will to stay alive and because you want him back. Now, c'mon. We need to visit an old friend."


	6. Cheng Lo

A/N: Just wanna give a shout-out to all my fellow "Pirates" fans here in the U.S. who've bought AWE on DVD by now. Namely, the 2-Disc Limited Edition. It's great!

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Chapter 5

It was night, and Singapore was lit only by the Chinese lanterns and lights from small houses and other various buildings that were scattered throughout the area. The part of the island in question had a countless number of wooden bridge walkways and roads that crisscrossed with each other, since the majority of the island was situated on the ocean. Every single structure was held up above the smoggy water by wooden stilts that were evidently sturdy enough to hold a house. The roads, or more appropriately, long wooden platforms that served as roads on the edge of the island sported many small shops and stands where various items were sold. There were also houses and other places of business, leisure activities and, given the nature of most of Singapore's inhabitants, illegal dealings. After all, one of the nine Pirate Lords had a special setup here which allowed him to reside on the island whenever he and his crew weren't pillaging ships on the sea. This particular Pirate Lord of Singapore had been elected so after the former one, Sao Feng, had died many years ago. The Chinese pirate who had been chosen to take Sao Feng's place was named Cheng Lo, and he was as smart as he was ruthless. Many people in Singapore feared him, and with good reason.

Cheng Lo was a merciless pirate captain who took pleasure in inflicting pain and suffering whenever he could. His crew was comprised of only the most vicious and bloodthirsty Chinese pirates that were available to him, and his crew seemed to reflect Cheng Lo's personality quite well. They too loved violence, and hungered for the thrill of decimating a ship or simply stealing what was not rightfully theirs through various means of coercion. Cheng Lo was the epitome of the other type of pirate; one who made it his life's duty to relentlessly hunt down all those who attempted to eradicate piracy and ruthlessly eradicate them in return. In his time as a captain, Cheng Lo had served as commander for many attacks against East India Trading Company vessels, led three rebellions against other enemy forces and persuaded the Brethren Court to act in his favor more than once. Cheng Lo possessed not only violent impulses, but also an influential sense of authority that allowed him to get what he wanted. And that was all in addition to his short temper. But perhaps the most notable of Cheng Lo's abilities was the fact that he was highly trained in the style of fighting that was taught in Singapore; Cheng Lo was skilled both with and without a weapon. This was all a reflection of Cheng Lo's past, which was essentially the sort of dark and tragic past that can only shape such a remorseless man.

His place of residence in Singapore was a discreet and seemingly everyday establishment, much like Sao Feng's bathhouse. Cheng Lo and his crew had made their home, or rather their base of operations, a restaurant that was very popular among Singapore's locals. The restaurant in question was named The Red Dragon, although the big sign above the doorway had the name written in the traditional Chinese symbols. The interior of The Red Dragon was mostly lit by the most brilliant of red Chinese lanterns, blending perfectly with the black furniture and other furnishings. The main dining area, as always, smelled of the aroma of the steaming fresh food being served continuously. The men and women who sat at each table chatted animatedly as they went about eating their food, oblivious to what was hidden in the back of the restaurant. But, there were a select few who sat at their tables in absolute silence, their eyes darting all around. Either that, or they were sipping alcohol, having the appearance of one who was waiting for something. These people were the ones who had business with Cheng Lo, be it about money or other more sensitive matters. The way these people were summoned to Cheng Lo's private quarters was that beautiful waitresses would come over to them, pretending to take their order but actually giving them a slip of paper with a password on it and directions to the room Cheng Lo used for these matters. And currently, a stunningly gorgeous waitress was making her way toward a table in the far corner of the restaurant, where a cloaked and conspicuous-looking man sat.

When the man saw the waitress approaching him, he instantly became more attentive, recognizing Cheng Lo's message deliverer. The waitress came to a halt in front of the man's table, quill in her hand and the red light dancing off her smooth skin.

"Cheng Lo hopes that his inconvenient timing hasn't put you off in any way, Mr. Shen," the waitress said in her native tongue. "He had other matters to attend to and now he is ready to do business." The waitress handed Shen a slip of paper, which had the password that had to be used in order to be allowed access to Cheng Lo. "Proceed through the kitchens and then make two right turns in the hallway you come to," the waitress instructed Shen.

Shen nodded as the waitress casually walked away to another table. Shen waited a few moments before getting up from his table, grabbing the large and bulging sack beside his chair as he did so. Then, as calmly and secretly as he could, Shen slowly made his way toward the double doors that served as both an entryway and exit for the kitchens. The chefs cooking inside were all under the employment of Cheng Lo, so none of them batted an eye as Shen followed the waitress's directions on how to reach the Pirate Lord's private quarters. Once Shen had passed through the next set of double doors leading out of the kitchen, he found himself in a narrow hallway lit by dim lanterns hanging off the wall. Gripping the sack in his right hand tighter, Shen started to walk along the hallway, keeping an eye out for the door on his right that he was supposed to be looking for. Finally, he found it and Shen stepped through immediately; it was already ajar.

Instead of another hallway, Shen now stood in what appeared to be a dungeon, because the lighting was sparse, the only source of it being the moonlight from outside filtering in through a barred gap in the ceiling. At the far end of the room, two armed guards stood astutely in front of a great iron door with chains hanging from the top. Shen made his composure firm before he strutted over to the two guards, stopping at what he considered to be the proper distance from them.

The two guards stared at Shen impassively before one of them barked out, "Password?"

Shen stared down at the scribbled word on the slip of paper he held in his left hand and looked back up and cleared his throat prior to stating it.

When the guards heard it and became satisfied, the guard on Shen's right turned around, placed his weapon against the wall, and tugged on the chain hanging from the door. Shen noticed that this man was extremely well-built and bulky, and even though there was the occasional grunt of strain from him, the massive iron door was shifted aside in the span of seconds.

The moment the iron door had been fully opened, Shen was treated to the sight of a chamber bathed in an orange-red light with steam rising from all sides. All along the length of the vast room, there were many different stations set up where groups of three or four armed men (clearly pirates) stood and worked with poppies and knifes. The pirates were intricately cutting the pods upward. They then poured the contents into awaiting wooden bowls. Shen recognized this as the process of attaining opium, and quickly realized that he was in an opium den. And opium happened to be what Shen came for.

The pirates working feverishly to obtain the opium briefly glanced up from their job to observe Shen pass them, but went back to work just as fast. But Shen didn't have time to dwell on the behavior of Cheng Lo's men; a peculiar sound had now filled Shen's ears and he glanced ahead to see what it was. The sight now in front of Shen was one of savage violence: a man in elaborate Chinese piratical attire was kicking, punching, jabbing and doing whatever else he could to a large and bulging potato sack hanging low from the ceiling. The man was employing almost every fighting move taught to Singaporean students during their school years, and even improving upon them. Each time the man would hit the bag, the bag would shift in various ways...as if something alive were inside it.

The man was Cheng Lo, Pirate Lord of Singapore.

Shen looked to his left and noticed two people standing against the wall, observing Cheng Lo's exercise with expressionless faces. The first person Shen recognized was the waitress who had pointed him in the direction of this opium den. Shen figured that there must be another secret passageway that led to this opium den other than the one he had used. The second person standing against the wall was another well-built Chinese pirate, adorned in red and black, and carrying numerous swords of various shapes and sizes. He had no hair, save for a short ponytail on the back of his head and a mustache and goatee. From his appearance, Shen guessed that this man was Sheng Kai Shek, Cheng Lo's equally brutal first mate. Sheng Kai Shek was a man who had the appearance of a true warrior; he was muscular, hard-faced and looked like a man who would kill you as soon as look at you. Sheng Kai Shek's belt had weapons stuffed at every conceivable point, and each weapon caused its owner to radiate a certain sense of ruthlessness that not many people could match.

The abrupt halt of pounding sounds caused Shen to snap his gaze back to where Cheng Lo stood. The Pirate Lord had ceased with his exercise and, in his native tongue, ordered a nearby pirate to open the sack. The request was efficiently carried out with no sign of emotion from the pirate Cheng Lo had spoken to and soon, the bag was opened...causing a fully grown man to come tumbling out of it, curled up in the fetal position the instant his body hit the floor. The man who had been stuffed inside the sack only moments before lay on the ground, breathing in short gasps because of the fact that he was experiencing pain over every inch of his body. Cheng Lo glared down at him emotionlessly and said something else in his native language.

"The next time you wish to lecture me on my temper, you would do well to hold your tongue!"

The guard whom Cheng Lo had commanded to open the sack earlier approached his captain again, holding out a massive sword. Cheng Lo swiped the sword out of the pirate's grasp and slid it into the empty sheath resting upon his left hip. He turned back to his crew member.

"Take him around back to the alleyway. Make it look like he was robbed."

The pirate bowed to show his understanding, forcefully grabbed the still-quivering man, and started to haul the beaten person out of the opium den.

Cheng Lo, who had momentarily been occupying himself with straightening his robes, took a deep breath and elegantly turned to face his new visitor, hands on his hips so as to provide an imposing impression. He eyed Shen with a look that combined politeness with a slight tinge of superiority.

"Mr. Shen," Cheng Lo said in a voice that was as smooth as silk yet firm and powerful, "I welcome you to my paradise." He spread his arms wide, gesturing all around.

Shen bowed humbly to the Pirate Lord, not wanting to offend a man of such power. He waited a few seconds before straightening back up.

"I understand that you've managed to acquire the...funds I requested in return for the opium I promised to deliver."

"Yes." Shen walked over to a nearby table, untied the rope that was holding the sack in his grasp closed, and poured its contents out onto the table. Countless gold coins with intricate designs and symbols carved into them that were unlike any other type of gold coin came out of the sack and piled up on the wooden table. When every single coin had been emptied, Shen tossed the sack away and stepped back in order to give Cheng Lo room to properly observe the payment.

As Cheng Lo did just that, many of his goons gathered around out of curiosity, abandoning their other duties. At the table, Cheng Lo extended two long fingers with dirty fingernails, delicately picked up one of the gold coins, and closely examined it with his right eye.

"The coins don't require any careful scrutinizing, Cheng Lo. I assure you that they are in fact from the Emperor's private collection. It caused me considerable trouble, but I was able to obtain your requested amount nonetheless."

"These coins, Mr. Shen, are among the rarest and most valuable of our dynasty. Very well, I'm satisfied. Now, I will present you with what you want."

Cheng Lo nodded to one of his compatriots working at the opium tables. The pirate, along with a few others, lifted the top of the table up and brought it over; the tray was packed with bowls of opium freshly prepared for the occasion. The tray was placed atop another table so that Shen could take his turn examining what he gained from this little bargain.

Shen stepped forward and dipped his fingers into one bowl and scooped up the opium he managed to grasp. Shen then sniffed it and became satisfied when his nostrils were filled with the proper smell of the drug.

"Quite remarkable, really...the level of efficiency you hammer into your men's minds. This opium is some of the finest I've ever come across."

"Your words of generosity certainly will not be overlooked. But, you do understand that if the East India Trading Company were to get wind of my dealings with opium, they would arrest me as fast as a finger can pull a trigger."

"Of course, Cheng Lo." Shen bowed once more. "Rest assured that the specifics of our meeting will be kept supremely confidential." He turned around to further examine the opium.

From behind Shen, Cheng Lo casually placed his right hand on the pistol tucked into his belt and silently pulled back the hammer. "It's a curious thing. Extremely curious, indeed, how deception can be made obvious by our body language. Don't lie, Mr. Shen. I know that you secretly made a deal with the East India Trading Company: you deliver this opium to them, or rather an arrest warrant, I should say. Because that's what this opium will become." While Cheng Lo said all this, he had surreptitiously aimed the barrel of his pistol at the back of Shen's head. "And I promise you, Mr. Shen, deceiving a Pirate Lord is a crime punishable by death."

Shen, with a socked expression on his face, dropped the opium bowl and tried to turn around, but Cheng Lo pressed the barrel of his pistol harder against his head.

"Don't attempt to turn around. I'd rather not have to deal with the mess that results from shooting someone in the face."

Shen cleared his throat in order to regain his voice and then asked the most obvious question. "How did you know about my dealings with the East India Trading Company?"

"I have reliable resources within my reach. And I make a point of not going into business with a man without first discovering his deepest, darkest secrets. You were planning on betraying me to them...such dishonesty."

"You speak of dishonesty as if you yourself don't engage in acts of criminality."

Cheng Lo smirked. "Everything of that nature is merely a matter of perspective."

Shen felt the weapon's pressure subside from the back of his head, and when he turned around he found himself face-to-face with Sheng Kai Shek. Cheng Lo's first mate gave Shen a cold-hearted stare before swiftly plunging his sword deep into Shen's heart. Shen gasped in pain and allowed his body to fall forward onto Sheng Kai Shek's shoulder.

"But disloyalty is the same no matter how you choose to look at it," he whispered into the dead man's ear. Then, Sheng Kai Shek pulled his sword free, causing Shen's body to crumple to the ground. Sheng Kai Shek gazed at his blade, now soaked with fresh blood, and wiped the red substance off by using Shen's pant leg.

"Dispose of the body discreetly," Cheng Lo barked. "And hide the opium...we don't need prying eyes discovering it."

The order was carried out without any objection and within minutes, the opium had been stashed inside a secret vault and Shen's body had been dragged over to a hole in the floor that served as an entrance to an alligator-filled pool.

Cheng Lo walked over to the restaurant waitress, tucking his pistol back into his belt as he did so. "Is there anyone else who requires my attention?"

The waitress nodded. "There's a man here named Jonathan Barnet who claims to have important issues to discuss with you. He's waiting outside the door."

"Very well. Send him in."

Seconds after those words escaped Cheng Lo's mouth, the massive door that was moved by chains until it had been pulled all the way open. Cheng Lo stood in front, waiting with his hands behind his back.

The two men who were on the opposite side of the door were clearly men of class and dignity. They stood with straight backs, their chins held out prominently with stoic expressions upon their face. The man standing in front wore a Navy blue coat which covered the attire of rich men, and he also had a white wig underneath a hat atop his head. He was also decidedly younger than the man behind him, who was even more menacing upon first glance.

The first man stepped forward, holding out his hand. "Cheng Lo, allow me to introduce myself: Captain Jonathan Barnet."

Cheng Lo eyed Barnet's hand with an air that undoubtedly conveyed his belief that since he was a Pirate Lord, Cheng Lo was above everyone else. As a result, he chose not to shake Barnet's hand, under the impression that making contact with inferior beings would contaminate him somehow. And what resulted from that was Barnet retracting his hand, seemingly unfazed.

"As you no doubt know by now, I'm here on important business regarding both a mutual friend and enemy. I was wondering, though...could we perhaps speak in private?" Barnet indicated Cheng Lo's surrounding pirate crew.

"There are no secrets between me and my crew," the Pirate Lord of Singapore responded without hesitation.

"Yes, but the matters I wish to discuss are rather sensitive and I'm afraid too...delicate for any average set of ears. Please. I highly implore you to ensure us a bit of privacy."

Cheng Lo stared hard into Barnet's eyes, searching for any indication of weakness. Unable to find one, he could do nothing but oblige. He promptly told his men to leave him and his guest in peace until he summoned them back. The pirates all exited as told and Barnet didn't continue the conversation until he was satisfied everyone had left.

"Firstly," he said, "I feel I must inform you immediately that I happen to be an agent of the East India Company."

The moment these words reached Cheng Lo's ears, he grabbed his pistol again and aimed it right between Barnet's eyes, quick as a flash. But, with even more surprising speed, Mercer removed his own gun and took aim at Cheng Lo's head from over Barnet's shoulder.

Barnet smirked. "Please, let us dispense with such pointless threats. You can tell the measure of a man by how much he relies on barbaric tools such as guns and swords."

"And do you not consider yourself a man of force being a member of the East India Trading Company, Mr. Barnet?"

"I consider myself a man of principle, who uses force only when necessary. That's how I've been able to get where I am now. But let me assure you, Cheng Lo, I didn't come here to arrest you or to kill you. I'm here to make a proposal. And it would be better if we weren't pointing pistols at each other's heads."

Cheng Lo and Mercer each waited a few moments before lowering their weapons, and obviously they did so reluctantly.

"Very well. What is your proposal, Mr. Barnet?"

"I'll get straight to the point, shall I? As I said earlier, we each share a common friend: the Lord of the Underworld, Hades himself."

"How is that possible? How do you know of Hades?" Cheng Lo demanded.

"That explanation is immaterial. But am I correct in assuming that you possess a black candle which emanates purple flames when lit?"

Cheng Lo said nothing, merely stared stonily at Barnet.

"I'll take your silence as confirmation. I own one too; one that my men had to travel to the ends of the world to acquire. These black candles serve as a gateway between our world and the Underworld. They allow any human soul corrupted by ambition to communicate with Hades himself."

Cheng Lo raised an eyebrow. "I'm already aware of all this. But are you suggesting that I'm consumed by ambition, and not evil when I carry out acts of piracy?"

Barnet smirked. "There is no difference between ambition and evil; they're one and the same. But getting to the matter at hand, Hades sent me here to deliver a message concerning our mutual enemy: Jack Sparrow."

Cheng Lo's face darkened at the mention of Jack's name.

"It would seem that Captain Sparrow will soon find his way to Singapore, courtesy of the sea goddess Calypso, who was recently resurrected in human form."

"Calypso_ and _Jack Sparrow?" Cheng Lo's voice was filled with hatred.

"Is there some sort of grudge you hold against them?"

"Jack Sparrow vanquished the soul of Sao Feng, a truly offensive crime. And Calypso killed the goddess we worship here in Singapore: The Dragon Lady. Legend talks of an epic duel between the goddesses which Calypso won. If she is in human form, then we must do everything in our power to stop her from regaining her powers."

"'We' meaning who?" asked Barnet.

"My crew. Here in Singapore, there lies a diamond known only as The Hurricane's Eye. The people of Singapore begged to protect Calypso's source of power, mainly to ensure that the killer of The Dragon Lady would never be Godly again."

Barnet listened to the short tale politely, but started talking again immediately. "Hades told me to inform you of Sparrow's impending arrival to Singapore. Calypso will find a way to capture him and deliver him to you so that you may do with him what you wish."

Cheng Lo smiled wickedly. "Is that so? Well, if that be the case, I'll willingly accept Jack Sparrow and whatever other pathetic fools may be traveling with him. But I will also want Calypso murdered while she is still in human form."

"Then may I suggest sending Sparrow on a wild goose chase? Convince him that you'll grant him a reprieve if he delivers this...Hurricane's Eye, is it, to you so that you can destroy it. That way, you can kill Calypso and still carry out whatever plans you have in store for Sparrow."

"A truly tempting idea, Mr. Barnet. But what's in it for you?"

"The guarantee that Sparrow will not interfere in any way with my plans for controlling the seas. He's ruined enough of my attempts already."

Cheng Lo scoffed slightly. "Control over the seas? How do you intend to gain that?"

Barnet returned Cheng Lo's mocking tone. "That's none of your concern. The bottom line is we both benefit from this arrangement. Whichever way you look at it, Captain Jack Sparrow will be out of our hairs permanently. And that, in and of itself, is reason enough to go through with this offer."

Cheng Lo turned away from Barnet and Mercer, rubbing his head smoothly while contemplating his answer. Barnet's relayed proposal from Hades did seem like the perfect solution to Cheng Lo's problems concerning Jack Sparrow, and all it took was a simple "yes" or "no" answer. Cheng Lo faced Barnet again.

"How long would I have to wait for Sparrow?"

"I'm uncertain of that particular detail, but you _will_ be given him."

Cheng Lo started to think some more. Perhaps Barnet was able to read his thoughts at that particular moment, because he soon said,

"Any other alternative wouldn't be as perfectly crafted, Cheng Lo. And if you're having second thoughts on if Sparrow will escape from your grasp, know this: you are a paragon of brutality. Once you inflict enough pain on Sparrow, he won't even consider running. Cripple him and you will be able to control him."

Cheng Lo nodded. "Very well, Mr. Barnet. I agree to this proposal. It will feel satisfying to finally be able to enact revenge on Jack Sparrow for destroying Sao Feng's soul."

Then, quite suddenly, Cheng Lo grabbed Barnet's hand and forcefully shook it. "We have an accord."


	7. The Legend Of The Angel Assassin

A/N: Merry Christmas! Here's the next chapter.

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Chapter 6

Elizabeth Turner stood at the railing of the Black Pearl, gazing out at the ocean, which was reflecting the orange haze of the setting sun. There was a somber and longing expression on her face, in addition to a wrenching feeling inside her heart. It had been at least one day since Calypso had taken Will prisoner, but to Elizabeth it felt much longer than that. In the absence of Will, Elizabeth had tried her best to be strong for both Michael and herself but she found that she just couldn't shift aside the heartsickness brought on by Will's abduction. In Will and Elizabeth's eight years of marriage, the couple had hardly been separated from each other for a long period of time, especially under such dire circumstances. Elizabeth recalled the time eight years ago when Cutler Beckett had forcibly taken her from Will to use as leverage during the crew's journey to World's End and how much she had longed to be reunited with Will...this instance was considerably worse. It was worse because there was no guarantee that Jack could find the person who apparently had the ability to kill Calypso in the window of only one week. There were seven seas in the world, and this savior could be living in any one of them. And even if they _did_ find him or her, would they even accept their destiny or believe the tale for that matter? There were just so many questions and as far as Elizabeth could tell, the answers to those questions were unattainable at the moment.

Behind Elizabeth, the crew of the Pearl went about to and fro, either busying themselves with ship work or simply doing nothing. Bootstrap was still aboard, as he had demanded to come along on Jack's latest escapade since this particular one concerned the well-being of his own son. At the moment, Bootstrap was standing at the opposite side of the ship, leaning his back against the railing with his elbows situated upon it. He was eyeing Elizabeth with a concerned expression, silently debating whether to go over and try to comfort her or not. Bootstrap looked around the main deck and saw that Jack was currently at the wheel, also regarding Elizabeth with curiosity. But from the look on Jack's face, Bootstrap could tell that the pirate captain was not intending to talk to Elizabeth about her problems anytime soon, mainly because Jack was the reason why Will was now being held captive aboard Calypso's ship. So, with that in mind, Bootstrap took a deep breath and headed over to stand beside Elizabeth.

The moment Bootstrap came up beside her, Elizabeth briefly glanced at him and gave him the weakest of smiles. She then re-occupied herself with staring blankly out at the ocean.

"Where's Michael?" asked Bootstrap, deciding to slowly ease into the topic.

"In our quarters," Elizabeth replied somewhat hollowly. "He wished to spend some time alone."

"And Jacquelyn?"

"She wants to try to take Michael's mind off of this whole thing, but Michael is adamant about being alone."

Bootstrap grimaced slightly, not wanting Elizabeth to take the following question wrongly. "Then, shouldn't the two of you be together at the moment? I mean, trying to help each through this until we regain Will?"

Elizabeth didn't give any visible bodily gesture of internal hurt at the mention of Will's name, but Bootstrap could tell that her heart must have skipped a beat. "But that's the problem. Is there really any true guarantee of Calypso giving Will back?"

Bootstrap sighed. "I honestly don't know. Calypso never once gave up what was rightfully hers in the past, so who's to say she won't abandon that belief?"

"But is Will rightfully hers?"

"Aye," said Bootstrap gravely. "I'm afraid so. Jack gave William to Calypso fairly, so he's now her prisoner until such a time when she's ready to give him up."

"You're wrong," said Elizabeth, her voice laced with emotion. These two words caused Bootstrap to give her a confused look. "Will isn't Calypso's. Will is _mine_. He's _my_ husband and believe me when I say that I'm prepared to do anything to get him back."

"The term 'anything' can be used against desperate people whenever they vow to do anything in order to accomplish something they hope can bring them inner peace."

"Love can cause people to go to extremes in circumstances such as this, Bill. I've vowed to get Will back because I love him with all my heart and in that sense, anything is an acceptable condition."

Elizabeth's heartfelt words made Bootstrap swell with pride and admiration for his daughter-in-law. Determination and devotion such as Elizabeth's were difficult to find in many people, and to be in the presence of someone who possessed both these traits was something to remember. Bootstrap and Elizabeth then spent a few moments in silence together, staring out at the setting sun; the image was able to instill a deeper, more potent sense of longing inside both their hearts. Someone very close to each of them had been taken, and both Elizabeth and Bootstrap knew that it was their duty to do everything in their power to get William Turner back in their company.

Finally, after what seemed like ten minutes of silence that had passed uninterrupted, a thought occurred to Bootstrap which caused him to chuckle slightly.

"You know," he began, "it's a curious thing. I think about the friendship Michael and Jacquelyn share, and I immediately associate them you and William."

Elizabeth turned her head to look at Bootstrap as he said this, the orange light from the sunset playing perfectly across her face as it made Elizabeth's beauty even more obvious; the sight of her at that particular moment proved that Elizabeth Turner could be beautiful even when she was going through moments of heartache. Seeing her face and the absolute attention she was giving him, Bootstrap continued on.

"To me, Michael and Jacquelyn seem to possess that special bond and sense of understanding between each other that only exists between those destined to be with each other." Bootstrap saw the new expression on Elizabeth's face and concluded with: "Wouldn't you agree?"

Elizabeth shrugged, momentarily looking away but shifting her gaze back to Bootstrap a second later. "Yes, there is something between them that reaches far beyond the realm of ordinary friendship. Will and I have been able to see that ever since Michael and Jacquelyn first met."

"They're the spitting images of you two."

Elizabeth nodded. Suddenly, she raised her hand to her mouth in order to muffle the sobs that had abruptly overcome her. Bootstrap figured that it was because of her thinking of Will in such a way. As a fatherly gesture, Bootstrap stepped closer to his daughter-in-law and enveloped her in a comforting hug. Elizabeth returned it graciously.

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Meanwhile, below deck, Michael Turner was sitting inside his parents' cabin on their bed, staring down at his crossed fingers that were resting in his lap. Michael's thoughts were centered around his father, and the fact that he was currently the hostage of some woman named Calypso. Michael so desperately wanted to get his father back, and he knew that his mother was prepared to go to any lengths to rescue Will as well.

Suddenly, there came a soft knock at the door, which stood ajar. Michael turned his head to see who was there, and saw Jacquelyn standing in the now open doorway, her face of concern and apprehension. It was clear that she wished to help console her best friend, but his request to be alone was still in her mind.

"Michael?" Jacquelyn asked a bit cautiously. "May I come in?"

"What for?" Michael replied shortly.

"I think you know what for," said Jacquelyn as she stepped fully inside the cabin, closing the door behind her. "And I'm not taking no for an answer."

Michael sighed. "Fine."

Jacquelyn walked over to the bed and sat down beside Michael. "Michael, listen, we've always been the best of friends and we've always been there for each other. So, what I'm getting ready to say...I'm saying it as your closest friend. You can't shut yourself out from everyone just because you miss your dad. If you choose not to ask for any help, then people won't even try to anymore. Michael, you _need_ to share your feelings with someone."

Jacquelyn gently took Michael's hand and held it between both of her own.

Michael briefly glanced at this action and then averted his gaze away from it just as quickly. "It's just that...my dad has always been with me, telling me what's the right thing to do, giving me advice, and telling me how to be the 'proper' gentleman. And now that he's _not_ by my side, I don't know what to do. I mean, are we really going to find this person we're after."

"I don't know," Jacquelyn admitted. "But because your dad has always been the person to give you advice, that doesn't mean that you can't go to your mum for advice or in this case, comfort for that matter. Your mum loves you too, Michael. And sometimes it's like you take that for granted because of some of the pranks you and I like to play on her."

"I love my mum!" Michael snapped in protest. "Those pranks...they don't mean anything! They're just ways for me to have fun with her. Me and my dad have things like dueling practice, but me and my mum don't have that much to share such as that."

"So...your pranks are really sort of a way for you to try to get closer to your mother?"

"Sort of," Michael nodded.

"Well, haven't you ever tried just talking with your mum? To try to see if you can find a common interest?"

"You know me, Jacquelyn. I'm not one for talking things out."

"But you're doing it now," Jacquelyn pointed out. "And you're doing a good job." When Michael tried to turn away, Jacquelyn squeezed his hand so that he looked back into her eyes. "Spend time with us. We all care for you, Michael and we can't bear to see you like this."

Michael looked at his knees for a moment and then he finally nodded. "Thank you, Jacquelyn. You've always been a great friend."

"That's what friends are for. To help you through rough times."

Jacquelyn proceeded to hug her best friend and Michael returned the hug.

Outside the door, Elizabeth had been listening in on this conversation. Currently, she was peering inside to see her son and his closest friend embracing as only two people as close as them do. Elizabeth was smiling sweetly, touched by how Michael had found someone special...and he just didn't know it yet.

She decided to give Michael and Jacquelyn their privacy, so Elizabeth retraced her steps back to the main deck. The sky was darker now since the sun had set permanently, casting everything in a shade of dark blue that exists only in the earliest hours of the night. Elizabeth stopped at the top of the stairs and stared ahead into the window of Jack's cabin. The flickering candlelight from the inside made the cabin visible to anyone standing outside on the main deck, and Jack's pacing was visible as well. Seeing Jack inside, Elizabeth exhaled smoothly and walked over to the cabin door and opened it.

Upon stepping inside Jack's cabin, Elizabeth felt a sudden wave of aggression toward Jack overcome her. As a result, she slammed the door hard behind her, causing Jack to turn around and look at Elizabeth.

"Can I help you?" he asked smoothly.

Elizabeth said nothing; she merely walked over to Jack's desk, where an open and half-full bottle of rum sat near the edge. Elizabeth, still without saying a word, picked up the rum bottle and threw it down so that it smashed entirely all over the floor.

"Well...you're obviously in a mood right now, seeing as you just obliterated my current source of happiness. Care to account for said injustices?"

Elizabeth wheeled around to face Jack, her tone set and stern. "Jack, I need you to look me directly in the eyes and assure me that you're going to do _everything_ in your power to get Will back." Elizabeth's voice carried all of the emotion that was presently sweeping through her entire body.

Jack regarded her with a knowing expression. "Lizzie, you can answer that question yourself by answering this one: have I ever _not_ completed anything I set out to do?"

Elizabeth listened to his words and looked away from Jack momentarily, her face slightly lightening.

Jack, meanwhile, smiled. "Precisely. Luv, you can believe me when I say that I intend to regain brave William before that treacherous heathen goddess Calypso can harm him in any way."

Elizabeth looked back at Jack, her eyes narrowing instantly. "Jack...you aren't planning one of your tricks again are you? Because we can't afford to take any chances whatsoever. Will's life depends on us locating this 'chosen one' with the ability to kill Calypso."

"'Lizbeth, I'm well aware of the consequences should we fail our little mission. I know what I'm doing here. You're just gonna have to trust me."

"I'll trust you when we're in the process of rescuing Will."

Jack shrugged. "Fair enough. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going below deck so that I can get myself another bottle of rum. You always seem to be the cause of me losing any of it in the first place."

Jack picked up his hat from its hanging spot, placed it upon his head and made to exit his cabin, but turned to Elizabeth once more before doing so.

"Relax. By this time tomorrow, we'll be in the company of our dear friend Tia Dalma and she can tell us more about our godly enemy and how to find the mortal destined to bring her down."

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The brig of Calypso's vessel constantly had a guard who was given the task of keeping a watchful eye over the prisoner locked behind the iron bars, so Will Turner couldn't employ his knowledge of leverage this time. He sat upon the bench inside his cell, holding his head in his hands out of frustration. Will had been locked in the brig ever since Calypso and her crew had taken him hostage and departed from Port Royal. And ever since then, Will had been treated like a prisoner; he was given rather detestable-looking food for meals and had been forced into some minor slave duty from time to time. With each passing day, Will grew more and more desperate and frustrated, as well as eager; eager to be back in the company of Elizabeth, Michael, and his other pirate allies. However, seeing as Jack was responsible for Will's current situation, he wasn't feeling any desire to come face-to-face with the pirate captain anytime soon.

The sound of feet coming down the small stairway leading into the brig caused Will to raise his head from his hands to see who it was. But he needn't have wondered; of course, it was the sea goddess captain herself, probably intending to make Will do another something he wasn't in the mood for.

Calypso, flanked by two muscular henchmen, came to a stop in front of the iron bars separating them from Will and stared at her prisoner with purposeful eyes. "Open the door so I can enter," she said to the brig guard without letting her gaze go astray.

The guard did as he was commanded and removed a ring of keys from his belt, found the right one, and dutifully inserted it into the keyhole of the jail door. Calypso and her two crew members stepped into Will's cell, and Will stood up.

"What do you want?" he asked coldly.

"To spin a tale. That is, if you'll indulge me."

Will narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "What're you on about?"

"Listen, and you'll discover that."

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At that very moment, many miles away, the crew of the Black Pearl had arrived at Tia Dalma's shack and were currently standing around the mysterious bard's table, having just informed her of the situation at hand.

Tia Dalma, sitting in her chair, nodded. "Indeed, there is such a mortal with the ability to kill the sea goddess Calypso. This person was chosen at birth by the Gods of Mount Olympus to serve as a warrior who would combat Calypso if she were to ever get consumed by violent ambition."

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"You see," said Calypso back on her ship, "the Gods believed my power to manipulate the oceans of the world was too vast and dangerous, should I ever have decided to use those abilities to accomplish my own ends."

"Which is exactly what you're doing right now, isn't it?" countered Will.

"Silence!" spat Calypso. "Anyway, this...destined mortal, if you will, would not know of this second identity of theirs until such a time when said services would be needed. Not even the parents of this chosen one would know about this little fact. The Gods named the mortal 'The Angel Assassin,..."

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"...because when the time for him or her to fulfill their destiny came, they would be possessed by an angel from the Heavens who would guide them through the process of killing the goddess Calypso."

Jack rolled his eyes. "Tia Dalma, are you daft? _You can't kill a Goddess!"_

Tia Dalma in return gave Jack one of her trademark looks that combined the traits of knowledgeable and mysterious. "But someone with the _destiny_ to can. Someone with the destiny to become The Angel Assassin at the opportune time."

"So there is such a person," said Elizabeth. "Can anything about this person identify them to us, since we're on a quest to get to him or her?"

Tia Dalma looked up at her ceiling in thought, trying to remember the answer. After a few short moments of this, she finally looked back down at her guests.

"There is said to be a symbol imprinted on their flesh..."

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"...that appears on the upper chest as a sign that the angel meant to possess this chosen one will soon inhabit their body. This symbol is of an hourglass with angel wings; it most commonly means death. In this instance, it identifies the person born with the destiny to cause the death of a goddess; that's how the angel wings fit into it all. The combination of the symbols for death and angel result in one ultimate symbol that signifies who The Angel Assassin is."

Will's eyes widened upon hearing Calypso's explanation of the legend of The Angel Assassin, and slowly and uneasily, he stared down at the relatively new symbol that was imprinted on his chest: the mark of The Angel Assassin.

He couldn't believe it.

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Elizabeth turned to face Jack, her eyes filled with shock. "That mark. On Will's chest. It...it was that very mark! _Will is The Angel Assassin! Will_ is the person we need!"

Jack's face immediately fell. "And I handed him over to the one person that would want to make sure he wouldn't be a problem."

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Calypso approached Will slowly; Will was still gazing down at the fleshy insignia with wide eyes. Calypso looked at Will slyly, one hand holding something behind her back.

"Yes, William Turner, you are the one destined to become The Angel Assassin at the opportune moment. The one who will have the power to kill me. But of course, I cannot permit that."

Will looked up into Calypso's eyes with a sudden air of understanding. "You knew about this. That's why you let Jack trade me to you. Because you knew that with me as your prisoner, you could take steps to ensure that the one person who can kill you won't."

Calypso nodded. "Precisely. But I'm afraid I must take even more drastic steps to put my mind completely at rest." She nodded quickly to the crewmates on either side of her, and both of them promptly stepped toward Will. The first one to reach Will punched him in the gut, causing Will to double over in pain; this made his attention abandon Calypso's cronies as they grabbed both of Will's arms and locked them into awaiting shackles embedded into the wall. Will tried to resist, but too late; by the time he summoned up any strength to do so, his arms had already been placed securely into the iron shackles.

Once that task had been completed, Calypso withdrew her right arm from behind her back, revealing what was without a doubt a human skull. Next, Calypso approached Will and came to a halt only when their faces were mere inches apart.

Calypso indicated the skull in her hand. "This is no ordinary skull, Mr. Turner. It is the skull of one of the greatest demon warriors whose name I cannot even utter because of his immense power. Now, inside this skull is a collection of said warrior's blood."

"Why would I care about that?" asked Will.

Calypso smiled in a most sinister manner. "Because the blood of which I speak is quite unique. This blood has been enchanted so that it will turn anyone into a vicious and heartless human manifestation of the demon warrior from which it comes. The blood must be consumed as if it were a common drink. So, William Turner, in order for me to feel safe from your destiny, I must turn you to my side."

All of a sudden, the two pirates on either side of Will forcefully grabbed him, restraining him while the other gripped Will's jaw and pulled it open using all the strength he could. Will struggled and struggled, but he was still no match for the two muscular pirates holding him down, with the assistance of the shackles around his wrists. Meanwhile, Calypso raised the decayed skull above Will's head, tipping it at the proper angle so that the mouth of it was directly above Will's.

"Keep his mouth open," Calypso instructed her two henchmen.

Calypso waited a few more seconds while her henchmen struggled hard to keep Will's mouth open. Then, when everything had fallen into place, Calypso took her chance and tipped the skull further until there came a downpour of dark red liquid that originated from the skull's mouth and went into Will's open and helpless one. Calypso didn't stop until she was completely satisfied with the amount that she put in.

Calypso backed away, and her crewmates did the same. They all kept their eyes trained intently upon Will, watching him drop to the brig floor once his arms had been released from the shackles. It looked as if Will's entire body had gone stiff while it started convulsing uncontrollably while sounds of pain came from his mouth. Will switched from side to side as his body continued to convulse, until finally, he stopped when he lay on his back. Seconds later, a flash of pure red light filled Will's eyes briefly before he slowly hauled himself to his feet. A dark and cold expression had now come across Will's face, and his wardrobe had changed as well. Will now wore a blood-red bandanna and a shirt the same color, with black pants and boots as well as an overcoat. A belt containing all manner of sharp weapons encircled his waist. Will no longer looked caring and compassionate; he now appeared cold and merciless.

Calypso calmly yet cautiously approached Will, eyeing him with interest. "William Turner...can you hear me?"

"Yes," Will replied in a dark tone.

"Can you tell me where I may find the crew of Captain Jack Sparrow so that I can take his ship?"

"Yes."

Will Turner had been consumed by darkness, and there was no certain answer of whether he would ever be himself again.


	8. Not The Same Will Anymore

Chapter 7

Elizabeth Turner sat down, shell-shocked at the revelation of the true reason why Calypso had taken Will. She and the crew of the Pearl were still inside Tia Dalma's shack, as only mere minutes had passed since the fortuneteller had revealed the information. Jack was standing by, idly twiddling with his hat and staring at both Elizabeth and Tia Dalma in a curious manner. Meanwhile, Elizabeth placed her head between her hands and massaged her temples.

"I...just can't believe all this is actually happening," she said in a hollow voice. "Calypso's taken Will and who knows what she intends to do to him."

Michael was by his mother's side and he placed a hand on her knee, which she took graciously; it had suddenly become a difficult time for the Turners. "Mum...is Dad going to be alright?"

Elizabeth raised her head, her eyes full of emotion. "I don't know, darling. I honestly don't know."

Jack, seeing this moment between mother and child, replaced his hat on his head and walked over to directly face Tia Dalma. "Tell me, Tia Dalma, why is it that you didn't seem fit to trust us with this information at an earlier time?"

Tia Dalma preluded her verbal answer by smiling a smile that showed off her rotten teeth. "Fact in point, Jack Sparrow, I _have _provided fair warning of these events."

Jack looked at her quizzically now. "When, exactly?"

"You misunderstand. The warning wasn't provided to _you_." Tia Dalma shifted her gaze to Elizabeth. "But to _her_."

"What?" Elizabeth asked sharply yet curiously as she looked into the bard's eyes.

"Mrs. Turner, did you really think that those nightmares of yours involving you dueling your husband were only that? Nightmares?"

Elizabeth kept eye contact with Tia Dalma as she racked her brain to get on track with what the fortuneteller was talking about, and she soon found the meaning. "My dreams? _You planted those dreams in my head?"_

"The extent of my abilities can surprise you, Mrs. Turner."

"Apparently so," Jack commented in a rather loud mumble. He then received a look from Tia Dalma and put on an innocent expression. "Apologies. Please...continue on with your conversation. Has me on pins and needles, it does."

Tia Dalma eyed Jack narrowly for a few more seconds before turning back to Elizabeth. "They weren't merely dreams. More like visions of events to come."

"Then, let me ask you this...What was the point of showing dear 'Lizbeth here these visions?"

"She needed to know. It's as simple as that."

Jack rolled his eyes. "Simplicity is a rather complicated term. There is never a simple reason for anything. And nightmares have a curious way of throwing certain fears one possesses into sharp relief. So, why don't you offer a more vivid explanation, eh?"

"Very well. I felt she needed to be aware of the task ahead of her. What Elizabeth Turner saw was what lies ahead if nothing is done to try and prevent it. If you do nothing to regain William Turner, then he will be forever bound to Calypso. But if you try and defeat the sea goddess, then there may be a shred of hope left."

"So what you're basically telling us is that we need to formulate a plan to release brave William from Calypso's grasp and then help him fulfill his destiny to kill her as The Angel Assassin?"

"Pretty much," Tia Dalma said matter-of-factly. "But of course, Calypso will not give him up easily. Even if you do manage to get William Turner back, you must make sure that he stays free of the goddess until such a time when his destiny is to be carried out."

Jack nodded. "And, by some astronomical circumstance that particular plan fails, is there a contingency plan that we may also rely on?"

"Now that Calypso has returned in human form, she will no doubt hunt down the source of her power."

"What do you mean by that?" Gibbs interjected. "When she attacked earlier, Calypso seemed to be in complete control of the ocean."

"That's because she is in possession of a locket which contains a sufficient amount of her abilities. But when the Brethren Court first imprisoned her, they decided to store the wealth of Calypso's powers inside a certain diamond-like object they named The Hurricane's Eye. Wanting to keep this diamond in as secret of a location as possible, the Court decided to entrust the duty of protecting it to the Pirate Lord of Singapore; the Brethren Court figured that Singapore was a perfect choice since it was near the edge of the world."

"So...what exactly is the significance of this diamond, this...Hurricane's Eye if we're discussing ways to kill Calypso?"

Tia Dalma looked at Jack again, but this time it was with her trademark mysterious expression that made it known that more was to come. "The significance of the artifact is that while it can fully restore Calypso's powers to her, it can also permanently kill her if it is destroyed. Because if you kill the source of anything, you also kill that thing in it's entirety."

"Then...we're goin' after this diamond," said Gibbs.

Jack turned to him. "It would seem so, mate." He spun on his heel to face Tia Dalma once again. "And you said that The Hurricane's Eye is located in Singapore, eh?"

"Correct."

"And...where _exactly_ is it in Singapore?"

"The Hurricane's Eye is in the possession of the Pirate Lord of Singapore, and he or she decides on a hiding place for it. So, in order to find The Hurricane's Eye, you must travel to Singapore and in turn the Pirate Lord of that region and force them to reveal the location of Calypso's source of power. But, I feel that I am on safe ground when I say that Cheng Lo will not cooperate willingly. That in mind, you must force the confession out of him."

Jack was currently staring at Tia Dalma with a 'you've got to be kidding me' look. "Well, when you put it _that_ way..." he said sarcastically.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth leaned in closer to Gibbs. "Who's Cheng Lo?"

"That be the current Pirate Lord of Singapore," Gibbs answered. "Cheng Lo was elected ta' the position after the former Lord, Sao Feng, was killed. Some say that Cheng Lo wasn't the first choice as Sao Feng's replacement, that the other Pirate Lords believed there ta' be a more suitable candidate but Cheng Lo forced his way ta' the title. Some figure he murdered anyone under the Brethren Court who opposed him, that he became Pirate Lord only because the Brethren feared what he would do if he wasn't selected. Mark m' words, if we have ta' confront Cheng Lo in order ta' rid the world of Calypso, then what we really need ta' be worryin' about is if Cheng Lo will try ta' take advantage of Calypso and her powers."

"Then The Hurricane's Eye is to Calypso what the Dead Man's Chest was to Davy Jones; whoever possesses it possesses leverage over Calypso." Elizabeth was starting to piece everything together.

"Yes," confirmed Gibbs. "But obviously, Calypso wouldn't want to make it known to Cheng Lo that she has returned in human form."

"Otherwise Cheng Lo would try to exploit that by commanding Calypso to carry out any dirty work of his since he has the one thing she wants." It was as if Elizabeth and Gibbs were taking turns reading lines from a piece of paper they were sharing.

"Besides my ship," Jack cut in. "If Calypso manages to obtain not only The Hurricane's Eye, but also the fastest ship in the Caribbean, she'll be an unstoppable force of nature. Quite literally."

Elizabeth stepped closer to Tia Dalma. "What's the fastest way to get to Singapore that you can provide us?"

"Wait," said Jack suddenly. "How certain are we of this plan?"

Elizabeth glared at the pirate captain. "Jack, Calypso has Will. And Will is the only person who can kill her and once she obtains The Hurricane's Eye, what's to stop her from just killing Will? He's my husband, and we took vows, vows _you_ recited, to protect and love each other no matter what. Saving Will from danger qualifies as part of those vows and I'm going to make sure that I can do everything in my power to bring him back not only to me, but to his son as well." Elizabeth put her hand lovingly on Michael's shoulder.

Jack looked down at Will and Elizabeth's son, taking in the hopefulness and desperation in Michael's eyes, and there was no denying the child's desire to get his father back. Jack then looked over at his own child, the one who had suddenly just been permanently placed in his life, and recognized the same hopeful expression on Jacquelyn's face. And at that particular moment, something that Jack couldn't quite place welled up inside of him. He suddenly felt the need to make Jacquelyn happy. Was it parental instincts? Jack just couldn't be sure.

"Cap'n?" Gibbs' hesitant voice broke Jack out of his reverie. "Jack...what're we gonna do?"

Jack tore his gaze away from his daughter and turned his attention now to Elizabeth. Jack had known Will and Elizabeth for eight years now, and if he was certain of anything about the two of them, it was that he knew exactly how much each of them loved one another and to what lengths they would go to guarantee the other's safety.

Jack sighed. "Give us what is required for immediate passage to Singapore, then," he said to Tia Dalma. "Don't what to keep our lovesick birdie here waiting any longer than is necessary now, do we?"

Elizabeth and Michael smiled. "Thank you, Jack."

"Don't mention it. Really, I mean that. So, we're headed to Singapore...their rum better be decent."

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At that very moment, just beyond the strait which led to Tia Dalma's shack, Calypso's ship was anchored and by means of Calypso's powers, shielded from being spotted by the naked eye. Aboard the vessel, the sea goddess herself stood at the helm and was accompanied by her newest minion...Will.

Before now, there had always been a calm and controlled look about Will that clearly signified his devotion to good. However, after being possessed by a demon, courtesy of Calypso, Will Turner's appearance of a noble and trustworthy warrior had been replaced by a calculatingly cold expression that also made one thing perfectly clear: Will was no longer good, but bad. Will, even though he was in some way possessed, still retained the knowledge he had gained in his lifetime. So, he had been able to tell Calypso Jack's most likely course. His merciless eyes stared unblinkingly ahead at the Black Pearl, which was anchored a short distance away from them.

Calypso, keeping her hands on the wheel, looked at Will with an expression of satisfaction. "Commendable work, William. Sparrow's ship is exactly where you said it would be."

"Was there ever any doubt concerning the reliability of my knowledge?" Will's voice was terrifyingly devoid of any sense of emotion.

"Of course not," replied Calypso. "Since we have the advantage of stealth on our side, we can simply wait for your old friends to return to the Pearl. And that is when we'll attack."

Calypso looked up at the sky. It was now close to nighttime, so the sky had taken on a haze which crossed red with purple and made the first of the many night stars visible. There was an almost ominous feeling that coursed through one's veins at the sight of a pre-night sky such as this. Next, Calypso deeply breathed in the fresh night scent.

"Ah, the smell of the ocean is so intoxicating yet empowering at the same time. Gives you a stimulating sense of purpose. Wouldn't you agree?"

Will was still staring ahead at the Black Pearl. "The only thing I find intoxicating is the ability to kill someone with a sword. That's my purpose."

Calypso smirked nastily. "Then I think it redundant to tell you to show absolutely no mercy during this assault. Slaughter them...in every aspect of the word."

"Consider it done." Will then unsheathed his sword and began to carefully examine the sharp edges.

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Tia Dalma placed a piece of parchment with rip marks around its edges on her table and revealed the inscriptions that were on said paper. They were all of Singaporean and/or Chinese design and looked as if they had to be properly lined up in order to make sense.

Jack eyed this parchment knowingly. "I take it this is the map that will give us passage to Singapore?"

"Yes," Tia Dalma answered.

"Funny," said Jack. "I don't see how a simple map can move the voyage along any faster. It will still take considerable time to arrive there either way."

"Ah, but you see...that's where you are mistaken, Jack Sparrow."

"Mistaken? Au contraire, my fellow bard."

"You say that this map to Singapore is simple. That is a gross understatement. There is _nothing _simple whatsoever about these charts."

"Care to expand upon that?"

"Not at all. All charts of Chinese origin are created by employing puzzles into them, meaning that every Singaporean map must have its specific secret unlocked before it can be used."

"So it's not so much a map as it is a Chinese puzzle box?" asked Jack.

"In a manner."

"Then what is it we're lookin' to unlock in this map?" Gibbs queried.

"The image of a dragon," said Tia Dalma. "You must rearrange the pieces of the map so that it shows a dragon. And that dragon happens to be in the shape of Singapore."

"Coincidental? I think not."

"Jack," Elizabeth said as she gave him an exasperated look. "Please."

"Sorry, luv. Just doing my best to lighten the unnerving serious tone in this shack. Tia Dalma, continue if you will."

"Cheng Lo is said to stay on the island that serves as the dragon's left eye; Shipwreck Cove is the right one."

"Why is being able to locate Shipwreck Cove on the map of any importance?"

"Not sure exactly, but it could prove useful."

Jack nodded. "Any other useful information you can provide us with?"

"Only this: so that you can have a good sense of your bearings, you will enter Singapore through what serves as the tail of the dragon inscribed on the map."

"Alright." Jack scooped up the map, rolled it back up and tucked it underneath his arm. "If that's all, I believe me and my crew will be on our way."

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A few minutes later, Jack and his crew were in their longboats once again, but this time they were sailing back to the ship. Elizabeth sat inside the ship she shared with Jack and a few other crew members, fiddling around with the Singapore charts, which were spread across her lap. She, by now, had grown accustomed to their special nature and was twisting and turning every part of the map that was movable in order to form the dragon shape that would gain them passage to Singapore. Elizabeth had been able to get small portions of it completed, but the ultimate picture was far from complete.

It was now sunset, and the purple and red colors that had blanketed the sky before had now become deeper and more vivid. Currently, the longboats had reached the Pearl and they were being secured with the ship as the crewmen began to make their way back up onto the deck. But before Elizabeth started to climb up, she rolled the charts back up and tucked them inside her belt, lending helping hands to Michael and Jacquelyn along the way.

If any of Jack's crew were expecting to return to the same ship they had departed from earlier, then they received quite the surprise upon finding Calypso, her crew, and Will waiting for them aboard the vessel, weapons drawn and at the ready.

Jack quickly took in the sight and made to draw his sword, but stopped upon hearing the sounds of pistol hammers being pulled back almost in unison. Realizing that there was nothing he nor any of his crew could do at the moment, Jack smiled his trademark roguish yet charming smile. "Calypso," he greeted the sea goddess, using a mock-polite tone. "My, what ever are you doing aboard my ship? Now, I believe we had an agreement –..."

"Yes, we _had_ an agreement, but that was before I realized exactly who I had in my company." Calypso briefly indicated Will with a smug expression on her face before turning back to face Jack. "Now, since I'm well aware that you truly are a man of your word, I'll kindly take what's rightfully mine, if you please."

"Bugger off. You entered our little agreement under false pretenses, and in case you don't know...dishonesty has no place in matters of business. You're not getting my ship!" Now fully confident, Jack drew his sword.

Calypso eyed Jack's weapon without any indication of being threatened. "Your naivety amuses me. But...if you think this is an absolutely necessary thing, then I'll play along. However, my pawns will do my dirty work for me at the moment."

"Good. That means it'll be easier for me."

And as if everything had suddenly been sped up, the two crews leapt into battle with every conceivable weapon at the ready. Jack jumped into action, literally, and landed the hardest punch he could afford directly into the face of the henchman he faced first. Calypso's cronie went falling backward, revealing an awaiting sea monster/human to Jack, one with considerably ugly features.

"You're not that much of a looker, are you, mate?"

The crewmate attacked with a loud outcry of rage, going in for an overhead kill. Jack parried the blow when the blade was mere inches from his face, shoved it away, spun around and brought his blade back up to meet his opponent's once again. What followed was a series of swipes in which Jack and the person he was dueling had their swords clash and clang in midair. Finally, frustrated, Jack distracted his adversary with more fancy swordsmanship while carefully and discreetly moving his foot closer to his opponent's leg. The moment he had gained the perfect vantage point, Jack pulled his leg inward, causing it to come into contact with the other pirate's leg and fall to the deck hard. In the same instant, Jack twisted around again to come face-to-face with his next adversary, and he both blocked the incoming sword swipe and knocked out Calypso's henchman. Next, Jack dashed forward and felt his hunched-over form come into contact with the stomach of an enemy pirate. This particular action created a sort of domino effect in the sense that it mushroomed from having just one crewmate fall over to many others behind him, most of whom were dueling, to follow suit. Jack straightened up, observed the damage, and smiled to himself.

"Perhaps I've just gotten too good!"

Elsewhere aboard the Pearl, however, prospects weren't too bright for those who were forced to Will. Before he had been turned by Calypso, Will Turner showed some sense of fairness in whatever battle he fought. But now, an uncontrollable lust for violence had consumed him and had anyone from Jack's crew bothered to observe his progress, they would have noticed that Will was fighting their own people, instead of Calypso's. He had already killed three Pearl members, and was ready to kill more; Cotton was one of the unlucky few who had been caught in Will's path.

From a short distance away, Gibbs caught sight of Will and noticed that his young friend was battling the wrong people. "Will!" he called out while still dueling his current opponent. "What are ya' doin'?" With a quick movement of the elbow, Gibbs landed a hard blow to his adversary's face. He then raced over so that he now stood in front of Will and he held up his sword to halt Will in his tracks; it worked.

Will eyed Gibbs venomously, showing Gibbs that this wasn't the same Will Turner he knew. "Get out of my way," Will said in a dangerously calm tone.

"No! I can tell something's wrong with ya', otherwise ya' wouldn't be fightin' our own crew members!"

Will stared at Gibbs unblinkingly for a few moments, a look that was rather unsettling inhabiting his eyes. Finally, he spoke again. "You're right."

And without warning and with no trace of hesitation evident in his actions, Will plunged his sword directly into Gibbs' chest, exerting even more force when he was positive that the weapon had emerged from Gibbs' back. Then, Will pulled Gibbs close so that he could utter two last words into Gibbs's ear with the old man's dying breath.

"I've changed."

Will pulled his sword free of Gibbs' chest, allowing the dying man to drop to the deck with a shocking sense of finality. Showing absolutely no signs of remorse, Will began to wipe his bloodstained blade clean.

From elsewhere on the deck, Elizabeth finished up a duel of her own as she swiped her sword across the legs of the pirate she was fighting, causing the brute to slump to his knees in pain. Elizabeth then looked around to find Will and she did. However, Elizabeth couldn't believe what her husband was doing; he was virtually slaughtering every member of Jack's crew he came into contact with. She looked around the deck to discover the dead bodies of every Black Pearl crewman, except for Jack, Bootstrap and herself. But it wasn't until Elizabeth's eyes fell upon the body of Gibbs that she felt icy coldness sweep over her heart. Elizabeth dashed over and knelt beside Gibbs.

"Gibbs!" she cried out. "Gibbs, can you hear me?"

Gibbs, his chest covered in fresh blood, weakly opened his eyes to see Elizabeth kneeling over him. "Miss Elizabeth." His voice was barely above a whisper.

"You're going to be alright." Elizabeth said this, and she soon realized that she was not only attempting to reassure the dying man in her arms, but herself as well.

"Will...Will..." Gibbs could barely speak.

'Will what?" asked Elizabeth, her eyes now brimming with tears.

"He...did this."

"What?!" Elizabeth was astonished.

But she couldn't get anything else out of Gibbs; he was dead.

As if in a trance, Elizabeth laid Gibbs' body down to rest on the ship's deck, got to her feet, and made her way over toward Will. Once she was close enough, Elizabeth grabbed Will and turned him around, proceeding to pound her fists on his chests.

"What have you done?!" she wailed. "You killed Gibbs! You murdered him!"

Everything surrounding Will and Elizabeth had come to a dead stop.

Whatever Elizabeth was expecting Will to do or say, it certainly wasn't what he did do. With a surprising grip, Will forcefully grabbed both of Elizabeth's arms, and grabbed them in a way he had never done before. Then, he shoved Elizabeth just as hard to the deck as someone would a mortal enemy. Elizabeth hit the wood hard and stared back up at Will with utter disbelief and confusion.

"What's happened to you?" she said in a tone laced with genuine hurt. "You kill our friends and you treat me like dirt; you shove me away. You're not the same person anymore. You're not the man I married."

Will said nothing; he just stared down at Elizabeth emotionlessly. But the one thing he did do was bend over and swipe the Singapore charts from Elizabeth's belt and toss them to Calypso, who seemed to be anticipating them. As Elizabeth continued to stare at Will in disbelief, Calypso opened the charts and smiled.

"I knew that the bard would give you these, Jack. But no matter. I'll get us to Singapore faster and make good use of this map. After all, I believe they can lead me to what I require." She turned to her first mate and gave him orders. "Tow the ship. And put the three survivors in the brig."

The three survivors were Jack, Elizabeth, Bootstrap, Michael and Jacquelyn. Jack was now without a crew.

The orders were carried out without any problems or deviations.

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Hours later, they were in Singapore and waiting just outside the island where Cheng Lo currently was. Jack, Elizabeth, Bootstrap and the children were about to be handed over to the notorious Pirate Lord.


	9. It's Just Good Business

A/N: Okay, so it's been a while, but I promise you it's worth the wait. Calypso's Fury is officially back in progress!

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Chapter 8

Cheng Lo stood astutely with three of his henchmen on a boarding dock, the slits that served as his eyes staring intently at the ship currently making port. One hand was resting upon his right hip whilst the other was placed ever so gently upon the hilt of the razor-sharp sword tucked into its sheath. The three henchmen flanking him all wore coldly blank expressions as well as specially-made armor that was engraved with unique Chinese symbols, some of which formed animals of combat. It didn't show on the outside, but Cheng Lo was experiencing immense pleasure right now. Finally, he could get his hands on the killers of Sao Feng and do whatever he wished with them.

From the massive docking ship departed a small contingent of people, five of them with their wrists bound together in front of them. These prisoners were escorted by two other individuals, one who sported unusual physical characteristics and the other simply human. The human wore a red bandanna across the top of his head and had a thin collection of neatly trimmed facial hair encasing his hard face. As this group approached the light of the lanterns, Cheng Lo was able to get a better look at the prisoners themselves: three were male, with one being a child, and the other two were female, with yet another child. The older female was dressed in normal piratical attire and had brownish blonde hair which hung limply on either side of her face, which was a mask of despair. The two children each had the expected faces of two frightened kids placed in a decidedly dangerous situation. The two bound men, meanwhile, wore looks of defiance on their faces to show that neither one of them were intimidated by their current predicament. One of them Cheng Lo didn't recognize, but the other he did: Captain Jack Sparrow. Jack in particular had a smug expression on his face, almost suggesting that he expected to find a way out of all this. That was something Cheng Lo knew was a typical trait in the good Captain.

Once the new arrivals had reached Cheng Lo and his men, he and Will stared each other down. Finally, it was Cheng Lo who spoke the first words.

"So, it's true. Calypso really did have Sparrow in custody. And here I thought I was being played for a fool."

Will narrowed his eyes even more. "How is it you knew about this ahead of time?"

"That is of no importance," said Cheng Lo idly, waving the question off. He then looked at Michael and Jacquelyn curiously. "Who are the children and why are they here?"

"That is of no importance," Will replied evenly. "What is important is that you give me your word that these pirates will not further interfere with Calypso's plans."

Cheng Lo cocked his head in amusement while smiling at Will. "'These pirates'? You speak of them as if you aren't one yourself."

"I'm not."

"And yet here you are, trading people over to a notorious Pirate Lord who will make a point in torturing them so badly, they'll wish they were dead. And you're doing so with apparently no remorse. If that isn't a trait of a true pirate, I don't know what is."

"Drawing conclusions about me is none of your concern. Your only concern should be taking care of these…miscreants before they can attempt anything clever, otherwise I will personally see to it that you die the most horrible death possible."

"You're threatening a Pirate Lord?" Cheng Lo stroked his short beard with a curious air of confidence. "That's brave of you, sir. If not foolish."

"I don't make threats, Cheng Lo. Only promises; those I can keep. I merely represent the interests of Calypso, and her interests are very specific: make sure her enemies cannot cause her any distress while she conducts her business, otherwise the consequences will weigh heavily down upon you."

These words did not seem to faze Cheng Lo in the slightest, and if they did, he certainly did an excellent job of hiding it. "I would ask you to remind Calypso that it was us, The Brethren Court, who imprisoned her in human form and we can just as easily kill her in that form if she becomes a problem."

Without showing any trace of emotion, Will took a leering step forward, his hand gripped firmly on his sheathed sword. "I'll repeat myself one more time for your benefit. If you try in any way to disrupt our progress in our obtaining the Hurricane's Eye, your fate will be worse than death."

Instead of offering another reply, Cheng Lo turned swiftly on his feet and walked back toward shore, leaving his three henchmen to gather their new prisoners, which they did diligently. Jack, Bootstrap, Elizabeth and the children were hauled away roughly in Cheng Lo's wake, his henchmen's grips tight on everybody's arms. Will watched emotionlessly as they were carried away, his face similar to that of a stone statue.

But at the last minute, Elizabeth managed to look over her shoulder and stare desperately, deeply into Will's eyes. And in that same brief moment, Elizabeth thought she saw a flicker of something in Will, something that her think and _know_ that the man she married was still in there somewhere, lying behind the hardened demon who now possessed his body, and that one flicker of emotion in Will's eyes made Elizabeth determined to find a way to help him.

Elizabeth then jumped as she was jerked forward by the pirate leading her away. And as she and the others disappeared from the lantern light, Will turned around and headed back to Calypso's ship.

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Back onboard, Will walked up beside Calypso as the ship was disembarking from the dock. Both of them stared straight out at the reflective surface of the ocean before them, spending about a minute in silence before Calypso finally spoke.

"It's taken care of, I assume?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Good."

"So, what's our next step?" Will inquired.

"We're going to track down a puzzle maker, one who I'm certain will be able to make sense of this map," she held up the item in question.

"And if he refuses?"

"That's why I have you. I have full confidence in your matters of persuasion."

Calypso's massive ship began to pick up speed as the strong wind caught the sails. Being towed along behind it was The Black Pearl, which had some of Calypso's men aboard it in order to ensure that nothing happened to it. But also onboard were two other individuals who weren't in Calypso's echelons of evil.

They happened to be below deck, hiding in a secret compartment and they had been there ever since the massacre that had claimed the lives of the rest of Jack's crew.

"Oy! Your elbow's in my eye!" Ragetti snapped.

"Which eye? Cause if it's the wooden one, I'm not really in a hurry to remove it," Pintel said back. "And besides, your foot is in a place it shouldn't be!"

"Sorry."

Pintel and Ragetti squirmed around inside a confined, closet-like space, trying to shift themselves so that they could be in a more comfortable and relatively less awkward position.

"It doesn't sound like anyone's out there," Ragetti said.

"Maybe that goddess seized the ship," suggested Pintel.

"Then why does it feel like we're moving?"

"Maybe she's taking the ship somewhere."

Ragetti looked down at his feet for a few moments, then back up at his friend. "Then why don't we stay hidden and see if we can discover what Calypso's up to? If we do find that out, then maybe we can find a way to stop her."

"And if we do that, we can become famous!" Pintel exclaimed in a gleeful whisper. "Think about it for a minute. Pintel and Ragetti: Goddess Killers!"

"Quite like the sound of that," admitted Ragetti. "So we should stay hidden a bit more, and see if we can overhear something important."

"This could be fun," said Pintel.

Although if they knew about their captain's current predicament, they'd be calling their little mission anything but "fun".

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Bright moonlight filtered in through from above by way of a checkered cover of a surprisingly large part of Cheng Lo's ship, where Elizabeth was currently being held prisoner. Her legs and arms were connected by a rusty bur firm iron chain that snaked from manacles encasing Elizabeth's limbs directly into the floor of the ship, where there was an iron piece built to hold down the restraints. The moonlight came down in a beam to spotlight Elizabeth inside a relatively dark and dank section of the pirate ship where additional light came only from the steadily dying torches resting lazily upon the wall. For a pirate ship to have such things was truly unique.

Elizabeth's attire had also changed since being dragged aboard. Once Cheng Lo's vessel had departed from its port, Elizabeth had been taken away by a group of Chinese women she could only assume were slaves, blindfolded and had her original pirate clothes stripped from her body. They were replaced by an "outfit" that was particularly skimpy. It was made of a thin type of fabric colored emerald green, yet not thin enough that it was see-through. There were no sleeves, as the cloth cut off at her shoulders, after V-necking under her throat. The bottom was just as unjustly skimpy, as it cut off a few inches above Elizabeth's knees, showing more of her legs than Elizabeth was comfortable with. One extremely fast or swift movement involving Elizabeth's legs, and basically, her secret would be out. Her boots were gone, replaced by sandals which had additional straps that spiraled up to Elizabeth's knees.

Suddenly, the door that allowed entry into this cell-like area opened, and Cheng Lo walked in with a smug smile on his face and his hands on his hips. Elizabeth immediately narrowed her eyes in hatred, tracking Cheng Lo as he paced around her. The sound of the cell door closing reverberated off the walls momentarily before Cheng Lo finally spoke up.

"I must apologize for the rather cruel treatment of you, Mrs. Turner," Cheng Lo said smoothly.

Elizabeth regarded the Pirate Lord curiously. "How is it you know my name?"

Cheng Lo's smile widened. "Curious thing, wouldn't you agree…that children will say anything?"

Elizabeth felt her blood run cold at the pirate's mention of Michael and Jacquelyn. Had he done something to them? "What have you done to them?"

"Absolutely nothing, I assure you. And it will remain that way so long as you cooperate."

"Cooperate? I thought you just wanted to kill me and Jack for whatever twisted reason. Isn't that how amoral fiends such as you usually operate?" There was a note of dry bitterness in Elizabeth's voice.

"Usually," Cheng Lo nodded, "but I like to think of myself as a gentleman who's able to put the welfare of others before me."

"Kind words coming from a captor," Elizabeth sneered, "but the chains wrapped around me at the moment discredit your claim."

Cheng Lo shrugged. "Can I be blamed for my efforts? You're only in this situation right now for the benefit of my crew." When Elizabeth eyed him with the utmost curiosity, Cheng Lo continued. "You do not strike me as the murdering type, Mrs. Turner. Nine years ago, you and a crew embarked on a mission to reach the end of the world. Your purpose: to free a prisoner being held captive there, and in so doing, you assisted in the assassination of Sao Feng, who was Pirate Lord of Singapore at the time."

"Is that why Jack, the others and I are being held captive? For something that occurred nine years ago?"

"You'd be surprised how long certain people hold grudges."

"If you have no intention of killing me, then what exactly do you intend to do with me?"

"To offer you a chance to redeem yourself. But first, I wish to test your dueling capabilities."

"What?"

"Just a little duel with one of my women slaves. If you win, then I will set you free, but only after you complete a certain task for me."

"And what if I lose?"

Cheng Lo reverted back to his smug sneer while advancing closer to Elizabeth. "If you lose, Mrs. Turner, then I'm afraid I'll have no choice but to allow my crew to take pleasure in your company for however long they see fit."

Cheng Lo circled around Elizabeth once again, but this time, he was closer; closer than Elizabeth was comfortable with. Cheng Lo proceeded to whisper in her ear, which caused Elizabeth to slightly gasp and incline her head enough to be next to Cheng Lo's. "You can imagine how much they've longed for the pleasurable company of a woman. And it seems that you could give them _hours_ of pleasure."

"Careful…pleasure can just as easily turn into pain."

Cheng Lo let out a devious laugh. "Here I am, offering you a reprieve, and yet you continue to make idle threats."

"Merely because I can't be entirely sure you'll stay true to your word to let me go."

"Oh, I have every intention to. You know why? Because you'll do anything to protect those you love most." When Elizabeth looked at him quizzically, Cheng Lo continued. "I've been studying you closely, Mrs. Turner. And from your apparent despair, I can surmise that you're currently experiencing some sort of tragedy."

Elizabeth looked away from the pirate captain, quickly attempting to keep her emotions in check. "That's none of your concern."

"Oh, the wedding ring on your left hand speaks for itself. And seeing as there's not a handsome man in your company, offering you words of comfort at the moment, your husband must be in quite a predicament…perhaps also due to Calypso?"

Elizabeth's solemn expression served as the catalyst for Cheng Lo pressing on. "He is. And I promise you, Mrs. Turner, that if you agree to assist me, it will help save your husband from any dire circumstance Calypso may thrust upon him. Think about it…what would you do to save your husband? To preserve the safety of your family?"

Cheng Lo let Elizabeth contemplate the question in silence as he paced over to one of the torches mounted on the ship wall. Finally, after long minutes had passed in the same contemplative silence, he heard Elizabeth speak up; he turned around, hands once again on his hips.

"I'm going to do whatever I can to save the man I love. As well as my family."

Cheng Lo made his way back over to Elizabeth, and posed the penultimate question. "Even if it meant betraying Jack Sparrow?"

The question seemed to cause a storm of uncertainty and confliction to rage inside of Elizabeth, swarming around her stomach like a maelstrom of emotions. On the one hand, she wanted to get Will back to her more than anything in the world, but on the other, Jack was an extremely close friend and Elizabeth knew that going against their friendship in any way would have possible repercussions that might resonate for years. Although, if Elizabeth just stood by and let Calypso manipulate, perhaps kill, Will then that was something that Elizabeth had no chance of reeling back from. If Elizabeth had any hope whatsoever to get Will back, then she knew it was in agreeing to help Cheng Lo in whatever it was he requested. Everything else, including Jack, currently didn't matter.

Elizabeth looked steadily at Cheng Lo, hesitating before giving her answer, but nonetheless managed to keep her voice firm and steady. "Yes."

"Excellent."

Cheng Lo barked out an order in Chinese, the cell door opened, and one of his slaves came in, carrying a ring of keys. The slave then went about unlocking Elizabeth's restraints, and when she was done, Elizabeth rubbed at her wrists where the iron shackles had been seconds before.

"Follow me," said Cheng Lo, swiftly walking out of the cell. After giving her surroundings one last look, Elizabeth followed in the Pirate Lord's footsteps.

Along the way, Elizabeth couldn't help but marvel at the sheer size and scope of Cheng Lo's ship. It seemed larger than a normal pirate ship should be, even from the inside. The hallways seemed wider and it appeared to have more rooms and sections than was possible for a floating vessel. No doubt Cheng Lo had worked out some sort of arrangement which allowed him to possess a bigger and more elaborate ship; the man certainly enjoyed power.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to Elizabeth. "I want you to guarantee me something along with my safety and freedom."

"Which is?" Cheng Lo asked without breaking his stride.

"That you will release the children as well. They're completely innocent and don't deserve to be punished for our actions."

This time, Cheng Lo gave Elizabeth a quick look as they reached a short set of stairs and began to ascend them. "I'll guarantee the release of only one. After all, I still require some leverage over you if you suddenly decide to abandon your obligations to me."

"I won't."

"But I can't be so sure of that, now, can I?"

By this time, Elizabeth and Cheng Lo had reached a new level of the impossibly enormous ship, and it contrasted greatly from the level they had just been on. Here, the ship resembled a small arena, as this was a circular room where lanterns were hung according to that configuration while countless filthy-faced crew members stood around the center of the floor, leaving enough room in the middle for two people to, say, carry on a duel. However, the floor was the most unusual thing about this place. Instead of being the regular, expected flat space, it was punctuated by numerous gaping holes, leaving limited space to actually fight if this was indeed where Cheng Lo wished Elizabeth to combat his slave. Elizabeth turned to Cheng Lo for confirmation, and the look he was giving her served as all the confirmation she needed.

Cheng Lo tersely called out to one of his crew members in Chinese, and the crew member obediently came forward, holding a slender and long black box; a box long enough to contain a sword. Indeed, when Cheng Lo undid the latches that were holding it closed, it opened to reveal an expertly crafted sword with a silver hilt, inlaid with tiny emeralds. Cheng Lo carefully lifted the weapon from its resting place, holding it gently so as to not tarnish it with any dirty fingerprints. He then offered the sword to Elizabeth, much to her surprise, holding it out so that she could grab it by the hilt, which she did.

Elizabeth examined the blade by twisting it around with her hand, looking at it from every possible angle. "Very impressive," she commented. "Where did you steal it from?"

Cheng Lo laughed heartily, a truly eerie sound in and of itself. "You assume too much, Mrs. Turner. Now…now comes the part where you either prove or disprove your worth to me." He once again shouted an order in his native tongue, and his group of crew members parted in order to allow one of Cheng Lo's slaves to walk up to stand in front of Elizabeth. Whereas the rest of Cheng Lo's women slaves seemed depressed and unwilling to carry out the Pirate Lord's requests, this particular one appeared determined and set on one thing: to defeat Elizabeth in their upcoming duel. Elizabeth could only guess that Cheng Lo had promised her freedom as well if she won this fight. If Elizabeth was right, then she needed to make sure that she won.

From her own scrawny robe, the slave withdrew her own sword, but hers was rusty and not as special. After swinging her weapon in a series of impressive arcs, the slave held her sword in a battle-like stance, a silent beckoning for Elizabeth to give her all she had. Cheng Lo stepped back so that he was standing with the rest of his crew, at a perfect vantage point to observe the entertainment.

Exhaling deeply while steeling herself in preparation for what was to come, Elizabeth gripped the hilt of the silver sword tighter and made the first move. The slave easily countered it by leading Elizabeth into three more successive moves, one below their waists, the other at chest level and the last above their heads. They each swiped away their blades by spinning them in circles an continued with swipes that landed in the vicinity around the top halves of their bodies. The new movements served as an advantage for Elizabeth, as she was able to push her opponent toward one of the gaping holes in the floor. However, the slave noticed this and, moving faster than Elizabeth could see, she used her right leg to kick both of Elizabeth's out from under her, causing Elizabeth to fall over backwards, allowing the slave time to perform an amazing and agile leap over Elizabeth, landing on her feet just inches from Elizabeth's head. Elizabeth looked up and pulled herself to her feet, still filled with energy.

_Oh great_, she thought, _this is going to be VERY easy._

Elizabeth didn't waste any time in re-engaging the Chinese woman, bringing her blade up from underneath her, but the slave seemed to have been anticipating this move as she parried the blow as if it were nothing. Then, the slave swung her sword in an upward arc that caused Elizabeth to lean back to avoid being it and then completely duck down to avoid the second swipe. Right at that very instant, Elizabeth decided to take the advantage and landed a swift punch to the slave's gut, causing the slave to double over in pain and for Elizabeth to attack by grabbing her while she was in that position, but the slave quickly recovered and in turn grabbed Elizabeth by her middle, and pushed her off and slammed her to the ground. This caused the wind to be knocked from Elizabeth, but she quickly recovered, and just in time to block the slave's next move. While the slave and her were struggling for control over the situation, Elizabeth managed to get her feet underneath the slave and when she was sure she could pull it off, Elizabeth used her feet to shove the slave back and jumped back up. Immediately, the slave lashed out again, but this time, Elizabeth was able to spin in a circle before blocking the blow with a swipe that landed both swords at eye-level. Next, Elizabeth pushed forward while freeing her blade, then she ran in the opposite direction to perform her next move. But before she knew it, Elizabeth found herself face-to-face with her opponent yet again. Even more sword swipes followed, the blades a blur as each fighter clinked their weapons together loudly, grunts included. As the duel continued, it took the two women around the open floor, and they managed to dodge the holes leading into stark, black nothingness.

However, Elizabeth finally managed to get the upper hand as she saw an opening in the battle to do so. While parrying the latest swing, she exerted just enough force to cause Cheng Lo's slave to go tumbling backward into the hole in the floor that was mere inches behind her feet. But the slave managed to catch the wooden edge, therefore preventing herself from being completely knocked down into whatever abyss lay in the blackness. This caused her weapon to go skittering across the floor and Elizabeth to place the tip of her own sword directly in between the slave's eyes. The slave stared back at Elizabeth, anger and disappointment in her eyes.

Just then, Elizabeth felt a new presence at her side; Cheng Lo.

"Well played, Mrs. Turner. It appears as I _can_ put your talents to good use after all." He looked down the length of the blade at his slave. "And you can keep this sword. Think of it as a gift for your commitment to me."

Elizabeth sighed loudly, bringing the blade down to her side. "If you're quite through with these pretentions, I'd just like to get right to what you want me to do."

"Fair enough," Cheng Lo replied. "Why don't we retire to my quarters, where we can fully discuss our arrangement." Cheng Lo's men rushed forward, pulled the slave up from the hole and hauled her away to another part of the ship while Cheng Lo motioned for Elizabeth, who was still holding the silver sword, to follow him to his Captain's Cabin.

She did so, but not before a long hesitation.

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Meanwhile, in Port Royal, Johnathan Barnet was standing in front of the window inside the Governor's office with an air of confidence and self-satisfaction about him. The sunshine from the outside filtered inside through the window, giving the office most of its light.

There was a knock on the door and Mercer came in.

Barnet turned to face him. "Is everything taken care of?"

"Yes," Mercer answered. "As of this moment, you have complete authority as Governor. The only way they can be revoked is if the Turners return to Port Royal."

"Which will never happen."

After a long pause, Mercer spoke again. "Are you absolutely certain about this? About condemning the Turners to their fate in Singapore?"

"Of course I am, Mr. Mercer. After all, as my brother used to say, it's just good business."


	10. Bloody Flesh

A/N: Fair warning -- a fairly intense scene lies ahead violence-wise.

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Chapter 9

Li Shang was an elderly man. His thin air had been whitened by old age while his skin had developed the expected wrinkles and spots. Shang's eyesight had also been something that changed, as he now needed glasses in order to see things as clearly as he did when he was younger. However, Shang did not let his age affect his life's work whatsoever. For as long as he could remember, Shang had loved puzzles, whether it be creating them or deciphering them, Shang was an expert at said objects. When he had been old enough, Shang had opened his own shop, where he either made especially complicated puzzles or helped his customers decipher ones they brought in for that very purpose. Business proved to be fairly decent, providing enough income for Shang to make the living he wanted.

His tiny little shop was situated in-between two large buildings on a street on an island in the outskirts of Singapore. It was filled with numerous complex mechanisms resting on shelves, some hanging from the ceiling. Grimy windows mostly caked by built-up filth allowed whatever light could penetrate through them to illuminate anything within its reach. The majority of the shop's light, however, came from many different candles which were aglow wherever they could fit into open spaces. Each candle sported unique wax designs that depicted different Chinese symbols and/or events from the past. Any visitor walking into the shop without any prior knowledge could immediately deduce that this was a place specifically targeted towards people living there.

Li Shang entered the shop, departing from the hustling crowd in the street outside, and pushed the creaky entry door open, filling the area with more sunlight than was usual before he promptly shut it again. Shang carried a stack of papers bound together by a piece of strong string. He walked over toward the back of the shop's main area after he put a sign in the nearest window which was inscribed by Chinese symbols that translated into "Closed". At the back of the shop was a doorway which allowed access to Shang's private workspace, where he toiled away at any puzzle he was currently working on. The second room, much unlike the first, was completely devoid of any windows so that the only light came from the fireplace built into the wall on the far right side. Close enough to the fireplace, but not so close that heat would be much of an issue, was a desk which Shang used to create and put together other people's puzzles. Shang walked calmly over to the fireplace after setting the sheaf of papers down upon the rickety wooden desk, and in the fireplace was a mechanism used for heating tea. Shang had put this over the fire before he had gone out to retrieve his work from a current client, and with careful hands so as to make sure it wasn't too hot, Shang lifted a kettle from there and walked back over to his desk, where an appropriately proportioned teacup was waiting. Shang poured the tea into the cup, filling it with the desired amount. He took a small sip while he sat down behind his desk and began to work on some puzzles.

Shang continued on like that for a few minutes, the task of piecing together a fractured picture something that brought him serenity. It wasn't until he heard a sudden flutter of movement from the corner of the room behind his right shoulder did Shang become aware of the fact that there was someone else with him in the room, lurking in the shadows. Surreptitiously, Shang moved the hand resting in his lap to the concealed miniature pistol that was tucked into his belt underneath his robes. Then, quick as a flash, Shang whipped around in his seat, aiming the pistol in the direction the noise had come from as he did so.

From the shadows emerged a lean, muscular figure adorned in black and blood-red attire, a bandanna covering his head, a stoic expression controlling his face, and a razor-sharp sword clutched in his hand.

"Who are you and how did you get in here?" demanded Shang.

The intruder gave the slightest trace of a smirk. "You really do need to tighten your security measures, Mr. Shang. After all, it's fairly simple for thieves to break in and steal whatever they want."

"Are _you_ a thief?" asked Shang in a steady voice which showed that he was not intimidated in any way.

Will stepped forward. "Absolutely not. All I'm here for are your services in putting together a rather difficult puzzle." Will dropped the puzzle-map on Shang's desk.

Shang allowed himself the quickest of glances at the map, but his demeanor remained intact. "Under whose authority?"

"Mine," came a relaxed, sensual female voice from behind Shang. Shang turned around to investigate the source of this new voice, and was met with the sight of a slender female figure hidden beneath a hooded black cloak, the hood itself hiding half of the woman's face. The half Shang did get to see, however, was one of absolute beauty. The skin on her face was completely smooth and flawless, with an intoxicating eye and strands of blonde hair hanging down from underneath the hood.

"And who might you be?"

"The sea goddess Calypso in human form," the woman replied as if the answer were something common in a conversation.

"Prove it," spat Shang.

Calypso extended one of her arms casually, pointing her index finger directly towards the pistol in Shang's hand. Within a matter of seconds, the pistol melted into pure seawater, splashing at Shang's feet. Shang backed away and looked back up at Calypso in surprise.

"Satisfied?" she asked.

"How…how is this possible?" Shang sputtered in disbelief, looking back down at the pool of water in front of his feet.

"That doesn't concern you. What does is the piecing together of the map my associate just presented you with. It's absolutely imperative that you do so."

"And if I don't?"

"Then the next puzzle you'll be trying to solve is the one involving how to come back from the dead."

The steadiness of Calypso's voice and the hardness of her one visible eye made it abundantly clear to Shang that the goddess would have no problem in following through with her promise. So, Shang turned back around and picked up the map to examine it more closely. The map was comprised of several miniature squares that could be slid into numerous configurations and arrangements, although Shang could see that they needed to line up to form a picture of some kind.

"It would be helpful to know exactly what I'm trying to make the puzzle reveal." This time, he spoke to Will.

By now, Will had made his way over to the fireplace and had stuck something Shang assumed was a poker into the fire, and he twisted it around with his fingers. "Make it reveal the image of a dragon," he said without taking his eyes away from the fire.

Hearing what the puzzle's image was supposed to be caused something to shift in Shang's mind, as if he had done this puzzle before, but he waved it off. Shang then sat down behind his desk and promptly went to work on the map. As he did so, Calypso went around the small room, admiring many small artifacts of Chinese heritage while Will silently remained in front of the fire, the luminous glow dancing across his face in unnerving ways.

It took about less than fifteen minutes for Shang to successfully complete the map, and when he was finished, realization dawned on him. Now he knew exactly why the concept of the puzzle had seemed so familiar; it was because years ago, Shang was the one who created it in the first place! No wonder these people had come to him, demanding that he put it together!

Shang pushed his chair away from his desk and jumped to his feet. "I know what this map is and where it leads to! Years ago, The Brethren Court told me to create a map to the location to the Hurricane's Eye, which is what contains all of your stored power!" Shang blinked his eyes, and suddenly, Calypso had gone from the far end of the room to directly in front of Shang, causing him to leap in surprise.

Calypso reached down and snatched up the map. "And now you've done me a favor by piecing the map together for me. However, the fact that you've seen me and you know what I'm intending to do will no doubt mean that you will run to the Court warning them of this. And I cannot allow you to do that."

Right after Calypso finished talking, even more figures emerged from the shadows of the room, these being more hideous and inhuman than Will and Calypso. They were half-human, half-sea creature; no doubt minions of Calypso.

"Hold him down," Calypso told these monsters without looking at them.

They immediately followed his orders as they swarmed upon Shang, holding him tightly while shoving him down against the desk. Of course, Shang resisted, but he was simply too weak for the combined strength of the pirates. A slimy hand was holding Shang's face down with his left side up, the grip so strong, Shang was unable to even squirm. The only movement he was allowed was movement of his eyes as they darted around, looking at everything from Calypso, to her henchmen and to the features of the room lighted by the fire.

Meanwhile, Will removed the item he had been twisting around in the flames of the fire, bringing it out so that everyone could see what it was: a flaming-red brand. The brand was in the shape of a human eye, decidedly feminine in appearance by how slender it looked. Slowly, Will approached Shang with the sizzling brand held out in front of him. Shang's face instantly became one of absolute dread as the brand drew closer and closer to him. Finally, it was so close, Shang could feel the heat radiating off from it.

"This is _really_ going to hurt," said Will in a chillingly plain tone.

Will then pressed the red-hot brand against Shang's exposed cheek, causing the sound of sizzling flesh to fill the air, accompanied by the screams of searing pain emanating from Shang's mouth. While still maintaining the pressure on the brand, Will reached into his pants pocket and extracted a cloth. He stuffed it into Shang's mouth, which muffled the screams and prevented them from attracting any unwanted attention from the civilians outside. Will continued to press the brand hard against Shang's flesh until it caused a large amount of blood to seep down Shang's face. Only then did Will retract his weapon. However, this didn't mean that he was done yet. With the entire left side of Shang's face covered in fresh, bright blood, Will progressed to the front. He slammed the brand over Shang's face mercilessly, with the action sure to disfigure Shang's face for the rest of his life, or rather however many hours he would survive after this nightmarish ordeal.

It was a truly gruesome sight, and it did indeed seem to bother Calypso, as she had to turn away from it. But Will, on the other hand, was apparently _enjoying_ it. A twisted fire raged behind Will's eyes, lighting them with a sinister force that certainly wouldn't have been there if he had been his regular self. The brand drew even more blood this time, and Will's pushing on it was so strong, there came a crunching noise which could have been the brand squishing Shang's nose.

It was Calypso's firm hand on Will's arm that made him stop. Will retracted the brand, revealing the sickening remains of Shang's face. What remained was so sickening, in fact, that just a glance would bring about a wave of nausea. Shang's nose had indeed been crunched and squished into a disgusting mass of bloody and swollen flesh, but that was just a precursor to the rest of the face, which was so bloody, torn and disfigured, it appeared as if someone had sliced it to shreds rather than press a brand against it. If Shang was still breathing, it was very quiet and unnoticeable. Calypso's goons threw him back into the chair, which in turn tumbled to the ground.

"We're finished here," announced Calypso.

The contingent of her pirate goons promptly followed her out of the room, but Will stayed behind for a moment, still staring at the mangled face of Li Shang. He threw the brand back into the fireplace, having no more use for it, and he rubbed two fingers against the fresh blood on Shang's face. Will then rubbed the blood between those two fingers and his thumb, reveling in the stickiness of it.

One side of Will's mouth turned up in a sinister smirk, and he followed Calypso's thugs out of the private room.

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Elizabeth walked into Cheng Lo's quarters, and immediately she was struck by how similar it was to Jack's on the Black Pearl. It was the same basic layout with the majority of the same features, referring to the small trinkets and such. However, one major difference was that Cheng Lo's quarters had a fireplace, which was another unusual attribute for a pirate ship.

Elizabeth made herself stop marveling in open-mouthed awe at the circular Captain's Quarters and crossed the room to stand in front of Cheng Lo's desk, flanked by two of his crew members. Cheng Lo himself was already sitting there, and he gestured for Elizabeth to take a seat in one of the chairs on the opposite side; she did.

"Let's get straight to the matter at hand, shall we? You probably want to know what you're agreeing to."

"Wouldn't anyone in my position?"

"Very well. I wish for you to embark on a little…mission. One that involves the retrieval of something known as The Essence of The Dragon Lady. You see, Mrs. Turner, every civilization has their own legends, whether it be Gods or warriors. Ours pertained to a Goddess of our own, most commonly referred to as The Dragon Lady. Many years ago, when Calypso began to bring her rein of terror on the seas over to Singapore, we became desperate. So, we used a bit of magic to create a Goddess who would possess abilities powerful enough to counteract those of Calypso. An epic battle followed in which The Dragon Lady and Calypso used each of their powers to combat each other, and it resulted in Calypso being critically injured, causing her to flee to tend to her wounds. After that, The Dragon Lady returned to the sky, but she left behind a liquid that had her powers to defeat Calypso in it. However, when Calypso returned and The Dragon Lady fought her once more, Calypso killed The Dragon Lady, and the only possibility of defeating Calypso for good still resides in that liquid. We call this liquid The Essence of The Dragon Lady. And seeing as Calypso has returned in human form, the fact that we get our hands on it is paramount to anything else."

"So you're sending _me_ out to get it," said Elizabeth.

"And in return, you will walk free, absolved of any sins you may have committed against me."

Elizabeth thought for a moment. "This liquid…this _Essence_…you said it's able to counteract _any_ of Calypso's powers?"

"Yes," replied Cheng Lo. "Any of them." He eyed Elizabeth intently, studying her face as it went through many emotions, from realization to hope. "And from your reaction, I can surmise that may prove beneficial for you."

"I'll just say yes and we'll leave it at that," Elizabeth responded evenly. "Can we now move on to exactly how I'll go about obtaining the Essence?"

"Of course. You will be given a small collection of my men to serve as your temporary crew whilst you fill the post of Captain aboard the ship I give you for the duration of the mission. I assure you they'll carry out every one of your orders without question because they all know that this is for a greater good."

"A greater good for you, you mean."

"However you choose to look at the situation, we both gain from it. The only condition, though, is that you will be operating under the supervision of my first mate, Sheng Kai Shek."

It was then that Elizabeth noticed the figure of Cheng Lo's first mate standing in the far corner of the cabin, lit by the dancing flames of the fire. Kai Shek was muscular, well-built and bald, with a thin goatee framing his pursed lips.

"And I take it that means he'll ensure that I don't suddenly have a change of heart and attempt to go back on our arrangement?" inquired Elizabeth.

"Basically. One of us has to make sure that we keep the terms of our agreement at the forefront of our thoughts, and I can't let your feelings for your husband interfere with our affairs or your progress. You deliver me The Essence, you and your family go free, and Jack Sparrow meets his well-deserved fate. Everything works out."

The mention of Jack brought him and his fate back into Elizabeth's mind. "And what exactly are you planning to do with Jack?"

"I wouldn't worry about that if I were you. Knowing that little tidbit would only upset you, maybe even impede you."

Elizabeth knew that was the best answer she was going to get to that question at the moment, and she didn't have the stamina to engage in a verbal game of chess with Cheng Lo. She nodded and got to her feet. "On that note of closing, I would like to request that you release my son Michael, seeing as how I was victorious in the duel. I want him to be with me on the ship."

Cheng Lo stood up as well. "It will be done."

"And a pair of decent clothes." Elizabeth indicated the skimpy attire she was currently wearing. "A captain of a ship should command respect, and these clothes don't do that."

"Of course. You have one hour before we reach our destination, and from there, you can embark on your quest."

And with that, Cheng Lo dismissed Elizabeth from his quarters, two of his men accompanying her to a private cabin where the tools and clothes Elizabeth would need were waiting for her.

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When Elizabeth reached that private cabin, she saw that a small table with a glowing candle had a set of clothes adorned with Chinese symbols and a weapon belt lying upon it. Elizabeth went about shedding the skimpy outfit and replacing it with the much more satisfactory Captain's clothes. She then wrapped the weapon belt around her waist, slid her new silver sword into the vacant sheath, and turned to find herself staring at her reflection in a grimy mirror.

It was then that the full weight of her situation came crashing down on Elizabeth. She was about to aide a corrupt Pirate Lord, and at the same time condemn one of her best friends to an as of yet unspecified grim fate. Elizabeth didn't know if she could cope with a decision like that. Sure, Jack had done his fair share of double-crossing to Will and Elizabeth during the years they'd been acquainted with the Pirate Captain, but in the end every time, Jack had always come through in some way for them at the last minute. And even though the welfare of Will and Michael was her priority at the moment, Elizabeth wasn't about to let Jack's friendship go without repayment.

She told herself that she would without a doubt save Jack, Bootstrap and Jacquelyn the first moment she could. She only hoped that she wouldn't be too late in doing so.


	11. Mutiny

Chapter 10

The clanking of iron-barred doors in the brig was the only sound that had met the ears of Jack, Michael, Jacquelyn and Bootstrap for quite some time. They all sat in a cell wide enough for about four more people from the looks of it, and they all sat against the wall directly across from the iron bars blocking them from the rest of the ship. Bootstrap was trying to pass the time by idly doing different things with his fingers, his face one of solemn boredom. Michael and Jacquelyn were sitting next to each other, rather closely in fact, and they were holding each other's hands while Jack was twisting his three-cornered hat between his fingers in what seemed to be deep contemplation.

Finally, Bootstrap looked over at Jack after dropping his hands to his side. "Jack, I hope you've worked out at least something that vaguely resembles a plan, because if not, we're about to permanently be citizens of Singapore."

Jack stopped twirling his hat. "I think I may have something in mind, but it would require one of Cheng Lo's men to open the cell door."

"And does it involve all of us getting freed?"

"I'm still working on that part, I'm afraid," admitted Jack.

"Well, I'd advise that you speed your thinking process along rather quickly, because I'm sure that what Cheng Lo has in store for us will be worse than rotting away in a brig."

"And make sure that your plan involves my mum, because I don't want her to get hurt by these pirates," Michael piped up in a surprisingly demanding tone. Michael even surprised himself and it wasn't just what he said or how he said it, but the mere fact that he was able to speak to Jack without trepidation or intimidation.

"Hmm, the more time I spend with you, the more you begin to resemble your parents," observed Jack. That comment caused Michael to smile, if only slightly. "Now," continued Jack, his tone of voice switching over dramatically to seriousness, "I think I may have formulated a plan. All it requires is a guard to come waltzing down here."

As if that sentence served as a powerful spell, a crew member of Cheng Lo's descended the stairs which led to the brig, holding a key ring that contrasted greatly with his dirty hands. The crew member, his face immobile, walked silently over to the cell as Jack observed him closely. The crew mate picked out a solitary key on the ring, inserted it into the keyhole and unlocked the cell door.

"I need the boy," he said in English tinged with a trace of his native tongue.

Michael slowly stood up, his hand still grasping Jacquelyn's.

"Might I inquire as to why exactly you need the boy?" asked Jack, taking a step forward.

In response, Cheng Lo's goon placed his hand menacingly on the hilt of his sword. "Step back, Sparrow. Otherwise, I'll permanently cripple you."

Jack grinned. "Well, what are you waiting for? C'mon, then, let's see what you've got."

"Jack…" Bootstrap began in an imploring voice, but was cut off by a wave of the captain's hand.

"I'm curious to discover exactly how someone like _him_ could cripple the great Captain Jack Sparrow."

That last comment was the straw that broke the camel's back, as the Chinese pirate suddenly drew his sword in a fluid motion and advanced just as fast on Jack with the weapon held out at the ready. But the pirate wasn't expecting Jack to swiftly step out of the way, but still keep his right foot outstretched. The pirate tripped over Jack's foot and went tumbling to the floor, the side of his head colliding hard with the edge of the bench prisoners would sit on. This knocked him out instantly, and his body went limp as a result.

Jack looked down at the unconscious brute with a mock-emphatic expression. Jack sighed as he said, "Told him."

Without saying another word, Jack bent down beside the pirate and went about stripping him of the more heavy clothing and throwing them over his own. While Jack did this, Bootstrap stood in front of the open cell door in order to ensure that no one else who happened to come down into the brig saw what was occurring. When Jack was finished, Bootstrap turned back around to face him.

"Alright, I'm going to take young Michael above deck as if everything is completely normal. Then, I'll find a way to penetrate Cheng Lo's inner ranks and put a stop to all this madness before it goes too far."

"And what about Jacquelyn and I?"

Jack glanced over at his daughter, who was staring back at him with inquisitive eyes. "Sorry, mate, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you two to maintain the illusion, as it were. I need you to disguise this bloke sufficiently so that it'll appear to any prying eyes as if I'm still here. Once I've done what needs to be done, I'll come back for you."

"But what if you're accompanying Michael to something even worse than being locked in a cell?"

"You know how I am, Bootstrap. Always good at thinking on my feet. That being said, we're off." He looked back at Jacquelyn, and added in a low voice to Bootstrap, "Take care of her." He then handed his three-cornered hat to Bootstrap. "And guard this with your life."

Bootstrap nodded that he would and Jack and Michael walked out of the cell but before they departed, Jack tossed the keys to Bootstrap. "In case of an emergency," he said.

Then, Jack and Michael walked up the stairs to the upper deck, where they were greeted with the sight of Cheng Lo, Sheng Kai Shek and other assorted crew members grouped around Elizabeth. Elizabeth herself was dressed in an attire best suited for a female pirate of Chinese heritage. As Michael ran over to her and was lovingly scooped up into his mother's arms, Jack pulled the hood of his new cloak down further over his face to obscure it from view. He then walked over to the group, noticing that the ship had made port. Cheng Lo was in the middle of saying something to Elizabeth as he handed over a large, rolled-up piece of parchment.

"…the charts which lead to what you're after."

While still holding Michael, Elizabeth took the charts from Cheng Lo's grasp.

_Wait,_ thought Jack, _Elizabeth is working with Cheng Lo? What's going on here? _Jack also noticed a pure silver sword hilt protruding from the sheath strapped to Elizabeth's waist.

" Now, once you locate and take possession of the Essence, we will meet again for the transaction on this very island." Cheng Lo indicated the island behind him, where an elaborate and foreboding fortress sat a couple of miles into the island. To Jack, it appeared to be a prison of some kind. "Preferably _inside_ the fortress you see."

Elizabeth took in the sight. "It's certainly inviting," she said in a sarcastic drawl.

Cheng Lo smiled, then barked an order to his men in Chinese; his men proceeded to a wooden plank connecting Lo's ship with another of equal majesty, and walked across it. "This is where we part ways, Mrs. Turner. I wish you the best of luck on your quest."

"Just make sure you uphold your end of the bargain." And with that, Elizabeth placed Michael back on his feet beside her and they crossed over to the new ship, Jack following closely on their heels.

It appeared as if his plan was working after all.

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Night had fallen, placing each and every crew member in a solid state of slumber. Members of Calypso's crew were scattered about on the main deck of the ship, snoring loudly and clutching to their chest either a half-empty bottle of rum or one of their weapons. Well, all except for four people: Calypso, Will, Pintel and Ragetti.

The latter two were currently darting from shadow to shadow, making sure to stay out of sight if anyone woke up. The only light was coming from the Captain's Quarters, and it was spilling onto the deck enough so that it gave Pintel and Ragetti enough to be guided by. Before they had come aboard this ship, they had managed to escape the Pearl by sneaking off it and using the rope dragging it behind Calypso's vessel to climb across, because they were in need of a longboat; the Black Pearl currently had none.

Pintel and Ragetti made a quick dash in front of the window of Calypso's quarters, but the fast movement was enough to attract the attention of Will, who instantly drew his sword and straightened himself as he was bent over staring at some charts. He dashed over, threw open the cabin door and stepped outside with Calypso.

"What is it?" inquired the sea goddess.

Will scanned the deck of the ship intently, and was able to catch a glimpse of a lone figure jumping over the rail of the vessel, precisely where the longboats would be. Will then replaced his sword with his pistol and pulled back the hammer. "Someone's trying to escape," he spat venomously. They ran over to the railing and looked over to see a longboat carrying Pintel and Ragetti fleeing in the calm night ocean.

Will aimed and pulled the trigger, but the bullet missed the target by mere inches. The shot rang out in the silence, causing a few crew members to be awoken. Three dashed over to where Will and Calypso were standing.

"Wha's goin' on?" one of them grunted.

"Nothing," replied Calypso. "Even if those two do manage to get to land, they won't be able to do anything because their comrades are more likely imprisoned by now."

"That is, if they aren't killed by anyone under Cheng Lo's employ," added Will.

"Then there's no need to worry about two bumbling idiots."

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Meanwhile, aboard Elizabeth's temporary ship named _The Dragoness_, Elizabeth was also occupied with examining a set of charts; in this case, the charts that illustrated the way to Shipwreck Cove, where the Essence was secretly being kept. Elizabeth had laid out the charts on the desk in the Captain's Quarters and she was hunched over them, her left arm stretching across to hold down the charts. Sheng Kai Shek stood by her side, closer than Elizabeth normally would have been comfortable with, but she was too absorbed in trying to decipher the charts to notice or care. Michael sat in a chair close by, respectfully keeping quiet to allow his Mom to concentrate.

"Nothing on these charts is clear. It's all written in Chinese," said Elizabeth.

"We aren't concerned with the words so much as the images," replied Shek in almost perfect English. "Simply follow the route illustrated by the green water." He pointed out the trail of light green water that led straight to an image of an island composed entirely of broken ships: Shipwreck Cove. "Now," continued Shek, "we are here." He pointed out the miniature picture of a ship curiously similar in appearance to the one they were on at the moment.

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes curiously. "That's us. But…how is that possible?"

"Like every set of navigational charts made in Singapore, they contain mystical enchantments which allow anyone who reads them to be given a better representation of where they are. So, according to the charts, we should reach Shipwreck Cove by dawn."

Elizabeth straightened up. "Then, if the location of the Essence is in such a close proximity, why didn't Cheng Lo go after it himself?"

"Cheng Lo can't be bothered with such elementary tasks. In addition, he doesn't have time to search the entire area for the Essnce. The search itself could prove to be time-consuming because no one knows the exact location."

Suddenly, a picture ran through Elizabeth's mind. An image from the vision Tia Dalma had planted in her dreams a while ago. The image was of the surroundings of Will and Elizabeth's dream fight. The surroundings were battered and broken, like the wreckage of a ship…mainly the wreckage of a Captain's Quarters. But, more specifically, Elizabeth saw a small vial of neon-green liquid. Could that vial of liquid be the Essence? It was a lead worth pursuing.

"I might."

Shek regarded her with an air of the slightest surprise. "And how would you know that?"

"That's not important. Just keep in mind that when we reach Shipwreck Cove, we should try looking in a Captain's cabin." Elizabeth looked up at Shek, who seemed doubtful. "I'm fully aware this is a hunch. Just trust me."

Shek regarded Elizabeth with his doubt for a few more seconds before finally nodding. "Very well." He waited a while before adding, with a hint of disdain, "Captain."

"Now, if you don't mind, I'd like some time alone with my son."

Shek looked from Elizabeth, to Michael and back again. "Of course, Captain." He turned swiftly on his heel and exited the cabin.

Outside, before the door could swing fully closed behind Shek, Jack quickly emerged from the shadows of the ship and caught the door. He opened it wider and slipped inside the cabin, closing the door quietly.

"Excuse me –…" Elizabeth began, but stopped when she saw who it was. "Jack!"

"Ssssssh!" said Jack. "Do you want to announce my presence to the entire ship?" He glanced out the window to make sure no one was looking in. "I can't let these stupid buggers know that I'm onboard until the opportune moment." He pulled the covers over the window shut to further ensure their privacy. "Now, I need you to fill me in on exactly what the bloody hell is going on. Are you working with Cheng Lo?"

Elizabeth hesitated for a while before answering. "Yes."

"_Why?"_

"Amnesty," Elizabeth answered. "Cheng Lo came to _me_, offering freedom for Will, Michael and I if I agreed to carry out a certain task for him."

"With that task being…?" asked Jack as he stepped closer to Elizabeth.

"To retrieve something known as The Essence of The Dragon Lady…something he claims can free Will from Calypso's hold."

"Ah, he only _claims_ it can free William. I'd bet you anything he's lying to you."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Jack, not everyone is a liar, contrary to what you may think."

"So, let me get this straight…you made your own deal with Cheng Lo in order to secure your own avenue to freedom. Where would that have left me? Forever imprisoned?"

"I had to do what I thought was right."

"And that was betraying me? How bloody thoughtful of you, luv. Tell me, what's to stop me from going out there and making a bargain of my own? One that would place you in my position?"

"Because you think there's a chance whatever deal I've struck with Cheng Lo might just benefit you in some way, and you want to see how it all plays out."

Jack and Elizabeth stared each other down for a few moments before Jack finally smirked roguishly. "Luv, do I look like someone with a plan?" This caused Elizabeth to give Jack a quizzical look. "But you know me all too well. Of course I have a plan. Although, you owe me one because any way you slice it, you still betrayed me. Even if that betrayal was never completed."

"Fine. But what are you going to do for now?"

"What else? Remain incognito until the opportune moment."

"Then, in that case, you'd better get out of here and find a good place to hide, otherwise I don't know what they'll do to you if you're discovered."

"Right."

Jack waltzed over to the cabin door and pulled it open, only to be met with many gun barrels pointed directly at him. "Uh…Elizabeth, I think it may be too late for that."

Elizabeth walked over behind Jack in order to properly see what he was talking about and spotted the weapons. She pushed Jack out of the way. "What's the meaning of this?" she demanded of the pirates.

Just then, Sheng Kai Shek stepped forward, his own pistol clutched in his hand. "There's been a change of command. As of now, I'm Captain and in charge of this voyage."

"Under whose authority?"

Shek shrugged. "My own."

"Well, that certainly didn't take long," said Jack.

Shek turned to Jack and smiled widely. "Jack Sparrow."

"_Captain! Captain_ Jack Sparrow! Honestly, is that so hard?"

"Well, seeing as you're so adamant that you're the Captain, we should start with you, then." Shek produced a hilt from his belt, and a silver blade popped up out of it. To this, Jack responded by giving a quick smile and pointed toward Elizabeth.

"Actually, _she'd_ be the Captain, seeing as we're not on the Pearl. So, start with _her_."

Elizabeth glared daggers at Jack while she put her arms around Michael.

"You're Captain for less than an hour and already your crew commits mutiny. No offense, luv, but you need to work on your captain skills."

"Shut up!" spat Shek.

"Alright," replied Jack meekly.

"Here's how everything will happen from now on: I'm in control of the ship and everyone answers to me. You three," he indicated Jack, Elizabeth and Michael, "will remain unharmed so long as you cooperate. If you do not or if you refuse, we will throw you overboard."

"If I may say so, your timing makes no sense," said Elizabeth. "Why are you even doing this?"

"I've grown weary of Cheng Lo. He thinks he's indestructible, when he's nothing more than mortal…and a misguided one at that. He spends too much time attempting to accomplish his own ends. And when I keep the Essence and use it as leverage over Calypso, I'll be the most powerful man sailing the seven seas. Why simply kill a goddess when you have the opportunity to control her? That is Cheng Lo's greatest mistake, and I intend to rectify that." He turned to his men. "Take them below."

Shek's goon grabbed the trio and dragged them out of the cabin.

"You know, I'm starting to get really tired of being somebody's prisoner. It all gets repetitive after a while."

At that moment, they arrived at the brig.

"Hmmm…not as spacious as the last one I occupied."


	12. Surprises

Chapter 11

Will was sitting next to a lantern in Calypso's cabin, sharpening his sword, when the sea goddess herself walked in. She stood in front of her new crew mate until he chose to acknowledge her by putting his sword aside and looking up at her with cold, emotionless eyes.

"What?"

"I just wanted to have a few words with you, William," said Calypso in a deceptively sweet tone of voice.

"So go ahead and have them," replied Will indifferently.

Calypso smirked as she pulled up a chair and sat down. "During your time with me, you've done things that, if you were still your noble self, you wouldn't even have considered doing. For example, you helped kill Sparrow's crew, murdering his first mate yourself, and watched as you gave away your family to a notorious Pirate Lord forever."

Will eyed Calypso suspiciously. "Are my loyalties coming into question?"

"Not at all," Calypso assured him, "nor do I have any reason to. I'm merely making sure that you won't somehow go back on our unspoken agreement and attempt to help out your old friends."

"How could I help them, even if I wanted to? You're the one who made me this way, so you're the only one who can turn me back."

Calypso sighed. "So it would seem." When Will gave her an inquisitive expression, she continued. "Unfortunately, the power to reawaken your good side doesn't fall under my list of capabilities. That power lies within the person who's been…altered."

"So you're basically telling me to keep my priorities straight, is that it?" Will asked with a hint of an edge to his voice.

"Basically," Calypso nodded. "We're embarking on a decidedly dangerous journey, and I need every assurance that you will do what I tell you, no matter what. Even if that means killing people you think should live. I will kill _anyone_ if that is necessary, and I expect you to operate under that very same prerogative."

Will stared at Calypso unflinchingly for a few seconds before he finally said, "You don't have to worry about me. I'm not going to go chasing after my former wife. She's not important anymore."

"While half of you may say that, the other half would obviously disagree. Just make sure that half stays dead."

"No problem."

Just then, the cabin door opened and one of Calypso's disfigured henchmen poked his ugly head inside. "Captain, a ship's been spotted right in front of us. Orders?"

Calypso glanced at Will and smiled in an evil manner. "Shall we?" She stood up and exited the cabin with the crew member.

Will lingered for a moment, as he replaced his sword. However, when he stood up, he flinched and shuddered on the spot. As he did, Calypso's cruel words about killing anyone and his own about no longer caring for Elizabeth raced through his body, followed by a wave of emotion that engulfed his heart. What was this feeling? Concern? Desperation? Love? Whatever it was showed itself in Will's eyes when he opened them again and for those few seconds, he appeared as if he was his true self again. But just as quickly as this peculiar sensation had come, it vanished with Will shaking his head to clear it. Will then regained his bearings and proceeded out onto the main deck to join Calypso.

Perhaps the old Will, the one who befriended Jack Sparrow, married Elizabeth and had a child with her, was still in there. Maybe he was simply waiting for the opportunity to regain control of his consciousness.

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"I've never understood any of these elaborate tortures," said Sheng Kai Shek as he stood in front of a long wooden table and unrolled a length of leather across it. Inside the length of leather, sitting in separate pouches, were various weapons, tools of torture shaped in ways that to even imagine what they were used for sent chills down the spine. "But what I _have_ always understood is that everyone has their breaking point, and the trick is to push them to that breaking point." Shek removed a menacing-looking knife curved in a way that it almost resembled a question mark and had a spiked edge. He held it up to the light filtering into the brig to observe it.

Out of the cell and tied to a chair a short distance away from him was Elizabeth, her eyes brimming with defiance.

"However," Shek continued, "if that approach proves unsuccessful, alternative measures are required."

"What do you want from me?" asked Elizabeth sharply.

"I believe you're withholding valuable information concerning the Essence from me, and it's my intention to extract that information from you, Mrs. Turner." Seng Kai Shek slowly approached Elizabeth, the knife held threateningly in his right hand.

Once Shek was within mere inches of Elizabeth, he began circling her menacingly, his eyes dancing across her body, seemingly searching for the perfect place to start. Elizabeth stared up vehemently at Shek when he was back in front of her.

"You can torture me all you want, Shek, but I'll never say anything."

Shek smiled a smile that actually managed to get underneath Elizabeth's skin. What did this gesture mean? "Mrs. Turner, what makes you think I'm going to torture _you_?" Shek turned, which allowed Elizabeth a view of two of Skek's men standing on either side of Michael, who was restrained similarly to his mother.

This made Elizabeth's blood run cold. It only took a short look at the sheer fear and terror on her son's face to cause an explosion of anger to burst inside of Elizabeth. "Let him go," she said in a quivering whisper.

In response, Shek simply waltzed over to where Michael was and turned to face Elizabeth again. "It would seem that I've chosen the perfect method, then. Now, I'll give you one last chance. What do you know about the location of the Essence?"

By now, Elizabeth had become so transfixed by the sight of her son about to be hurt that she had absentmindedly managed to tune out everything else. Her unresponsiveness prompted Shek to proceed.

"Very well." He moved to cut Michael with the knife, but it was just then that Elizabeth awakened from her stupor.

"NO!"

Shek paused just a the tip of the knife was about to penetrate the skin of Michael's neck. He looked up at Elizabeth and smirked.

"Speak."

Elizabeth opened her mouth to do so, but before anything resembling a word could escape, a huge explosion rocked the ship and the left wall of the brig burst from the blast of a cannonball that subsequently tore through the opposite wall a few seconds later. Jack, who had been watching silently from a different cell, immediately leapt to his feet.

The force of the sudden blast caused Elizabeth's chair to be thrown backward. The chair skidded a few inches and the ropes that encircled her legs loosened just enough for Elizabeth to slide her booted feet free. So when one of Shek's men came over to pull her upright, Elizabeth delivered two swift kicks to him; the first to his gut, the second to his face. The pirate landed hard on his back. Then, Elizabeth stood up by herself, her hands still tied to he armrests if the chair.

By now, the sound of an all-out battle had erupted on the main deck. The next guard, sword in hand, came charging at Elizabeth. Elizabeth got herself ready, and positioned herself appropriately so that when the guard swung his blade down, it cut the bonds holding down Elizabeth's arms. Now free completely, Elizabeth was able to use her fists as weapons as she delivered an uppercut to the guard's chin and kicked his legs out from underneath him at the same time. Just as the guard's body was falling to the wooden deck, Elizabeth managed to snatch the keys to Jack's cell from his belt and toss them to Jack's awaiting hand. He caught them.

"Thanks, luv."

Jack went to work freeing himself as Elizabeth and Sheng Kai Shek faced each other. Shek whipped out his sword in one fluid motion, and Elizabeth snatched up her new silver sword from a nearby table it had been placed on. The sounds of clashing swords and firing guns continued to flood the air around them, drifting down from the main deck. Occasionally, the ship itself would rock from the impact of more cannonballs that hit in different areas of the vessel. Both Shek and Elizabeth eyed each other for a few moments as Jack exited his cell.

"Jack," Elizabeth addressed him, "take Michael someplace safe." Her voice carried an unwavering calmness that greatly contrasted with the brief fear she had shown only moments before.

Jack dutifully set about freeing Michael from his bonds, curiously without any commentary on his part, and they both went down a narrow pathway that normally wouldn't be on a ship, but would be on ones of Chinese design.

This left Elizabeth and Shek alone in the brig. Neither wasted any time in engaging each other in battle. Their swords met in midair, but only temporarily; the blades created a brilliant amount of silver light as they blurred in various arcs around the people wielding them. When Sheng tried to advance, Elizabeth stepped back and swiped, which tore Sheng's outer coat. Sheng shed the garment, shrugging it to the ground and continued the duel.

As Elizabeth and Sheng fought, another cannonball tore through the brig, followed by two more. The force of these blasts caused an overhanging lantern to be knocked from its hanger and fall to the floor, immediately igniting that portion of the floor in flames. At the same time, Elizabeth and Sheng's fight progressed past the unconscious guard, whose sword Sheng managed to snatch up. He was now twice as lethal.

_Clang! Clang! Clang!_ Sheng delivered blows with both hands one at a time and Elizabeth was able to block each one of them. Next, Elizabeth managed to swing in below Sheng's waist, but Sheng caught Elizabeth's sword in between both of his. Once all three blades were free, Sheng attempted to slice open Elizabeth's skull, but Elizabeth caught him before he could, providing her with ample opportunity to deliver a hard punch to Sheng's gut. Once Sheng had recovered from the blow, a few more seconds of him clanging swords with Elizabeth followed before the flames behind them reached a barrel of gunpowder and a split-second later, a small explosion sent Elizabeth and Sheng flying into the far wall.

The explosion also caused the wooden structure of the ship to blast apart in that particular area, which in turn caused seawater to begin sweeping into the brig.

Elizabeth was the first to recover from the explosion, and after she had pulled herself to her feet, she noticed that Sheng was on his feet as well. Elizabeth quickly observed that both of Sheng's sword was out of his reach, but just within hers, so she punched him hard enough so that he went against the wall. Elizabeth then swiped up the two swords and threw them in under five seconds.

Each sword lodged itself in the wooden wall of the ship, connecting with the fabric of Sheng's shirt that hung limply under his armpits; this pinned Sheng to the wall.

Elizabeth stared at him without remorse. "Captain goes down with the ship."

The flames were starting to grow to dangerous inferno-like heights, so Elizabeth quickly sheathed her pure silver sword and jumped over a line of flames to dash up the stairs leading to the main deck of the ship.

The sight that Elizabeth was met with was one of pure chaos. The dark night sky was occasionally lit by the flashes of pistol fire, but the air itself was a tidal wave of clashing steel overpowered by the screams and grunts of burly pirates engaged in the sweat and exhaustion-inducing dance that was known as the duel. And Sheng's men were losing.

Elizabeth spotted Jack and Michael pressed against the portside, clearly avoiding the madness at hand. She dashed over them, having to jump over bodies of men that were either dead or unconscious only three times. However, once she reached Jack and Michael, there came an unexpected problem. Will was there in a flash, and he swiped at Jack without a word. Jack managed to sidestep the motion, but as he did, he tripped and fell into the ocean. Will then grabbed Elizabeth and made to stab Elizabeth directly through the heart, but in the instant that their eyes met, Will's face went from cold, hard and menacing to confused and concerned. Elizabeth recognized this change in demeanor.

"Will."

She whispered her husband's name as if saying it out loud were a sin. But just as fast as the glimmer of humanity made itself visible on Will's face, it disappeared just as quickly. Will sharply glanced to his side to see Calypso approaching them at an alarming rate. Will looked back at Elizabeth and tossed her into the ocean.

"MUM!"

Michael stared desperately down at the ocean as Elizabeth's head popped back up onto the surface. He shot a look at Will that combined confusion and fear before diving in after his mother.

Just then, Calypso came to stand beside Will. "You let her live?"

"I'll kill her later. It needs a more intimate setting." Will coldly glanced at Calypso. "I want to make sure her heart is truly broken before I run my blade through whatever's left of it."

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Elizabeth swam over to Michael once he had resurfaced for air. "Are you alright?" she asked as she hugged him close to her. "I'm so sorry that you were put into such danger."

"Mum, why would Dad do that to you?"

"He saved your mum's life, lad," said Jack as he swam up to them. "It would seem the William we all know is still putting up a fight against Calypso. Otherwise, we'd all surely be dead by now."

"so what's our next course of action? The map to the Essence is still aboard that ship, and in a short while, a leak will force it to sink."

"First things first. We need to regroup someplace dry and figure out our next step."

"But how? Even if we can reach that island, (Elizabeth indicated a spit of land in the short distance) how will we get there?"

Jack didn't respond, because he was busy staring at something past her. Elizabeth swiveled around to see what Jack was looking at: an approaching rowboat with two figures inside that were just barely discernible in the blackness. As the rowboat got nearer, the two people finally became recognizable: it was Pintel and Ragetti.

"Spank me twice and name me Sally!" said Jack. "Am I happy to see those two."

After a relatively silent boatride that followed hurried explanations, the contingent of five people reached the island. Pine trees stretched into the sky, illuminated by the moonlight. Silence engulfed the island, making it unclear whether or not it was safe to inhabit.

Jack and Elizabeth didn't even consider the possibility of danger as they led their group deep into the heart of the island. It took a ten-minute trudge through low-hanging branches and discarded logs before the sight of a dim light filled everyone's eyesight.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Pintel said to Ragetti as the light went from dim to a brighter and more orange-like haze.

The light emanated from torches that were resting in carved-in places for them in a circle of tree trunks. There was an open area in the middle of these trees, with rope loops that neither Jack nor Elizabeth noticed before they each placed a foot in them, causing the ropes to close around their ankles and yank them up into the air. Michael, Pintel and Ragetti were left on their feet and staring up at Jack and Elizabeth, who were now hanging upside down.

Just then, four figures carrying rifles emerged from the greenery, two aiming at the three figures still on the ground and the other two aiming at Jack and Elizabeth.

"Andrew," said one of the figures, a woman with lengthy brown hair and tight-fitting clothes, "it seems we have some guests." She spoke to a man with a muscular body and a few days worth of stubble.

Andrew, the man, kept his eyes trained on Jack and Elizabeth as he responded. "Cut them down and take them back with us. And Rachel, try not to hurt anyone this time."


	13. Jack's New Crew

A/N: Alright, as requested this story will be updated once a week until finished. Every Tuesday, that is.

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Chapter 12

The woman named Rachel shrugged the strap of her rifle onto her right shoulder as she withdrew a gleaming silver knife with a jagged side from her pocket. She approached Elizabeth first; she cut the rope slowly, but Elizabeth still fell to the ground hard, same with Jack.

Jack and Elizabeth picked themselves up, brushing off the dust on their clothes and regarding these four mysterious people with apprehension.

It was the man called Andrew who spoke first. "Let's get the formalities out of the way, shall we? Who are you?" he kept his weapon trained on them.

"Cap'n Jack Sparrow. This lass here is Elizabeth Turner." Jack looked at Andrew warily. "And don't get any ideas, because she's a married woman."

Andrew smirked. "Certainly not to you." As Jack made a sour expression, Rachel put the rifle back in her hands. "Did Cheng Lo send you? Is he now aware of our location?"

"No," said Elizabeth as she stepped forward, now taking charge. "We are enemies of Cheng Lo and I assure you we mean you no harm." She indicated Michael, Pintel and Ragetti. "That's my son Michael, and they are Pintel and Ragetti. Those two surely can't pose a threat."

The two people who still had their weapons trained on who Elizabeth just identified looked to Andrew, who nodded for them to lower their guns; they obliged.

"Now," continued Elizabeth, "since we've cleared the confusion of _our_ identities, you mind telling us who you are?"

Andrew's eyes darted all around the surrounding scenery, suspicion evident on his face. "Not here. We run the risk of being overheard."

"By whom?"

"Cheng Lo. He has spies everywhere, so we should practice caution until we're in a place we're sure is contained." Andrew looked back at his other two compatriots. "Patrick, Catherine, you accompany those three while Rachel and I cover Jack and Elizabeth."

Without another word, they all began a trek through the deeper portion of the wooded area, Andrew and Rachel leading the way. They walked for what seemed like fifteen minutes before they finally reached a second open area. Only in this one, there was a medium-sized brick-built structure that from the outside looked spacious enough to house a maximum of ten people. Two windows showed that the inside was alight, presumably by candles, however the light did little to indicate the contents of the brick structure.

Andrew and Rachel entered first, with Andrew holding the door open for their guests.

The first thing that Jack and Elizabeth noticed upon crossing the threshold was that the far wall of what could have been called "the cabin" was lined with weapons; guns, swords and knife that had presumably been stolen from some sort of source that was connected to Cheng Lo. In the center was a long, rectangular table where empty mugs, plates, eating utensils, pieces of parchment and other various objects. Pushed against each wall were four cots, one for each person. And on the wall they just walked through hung wooden shelves that contained food and drinks that were starting to dwindle in amount. The people named Patrick and Catherine entered after Michael and the two bumbling pirates, and Andrew closed the door, securing the locks on the inside.

"Can we offer you anything?" asked Rachel as she replaced her weapons on the far wall. "Food? Rum?"

Jack looked like he was about to say yes to the offer of rum, but a quick jab in the ribs courtesy of Elizabeth's elbow shut him up. "No, I believe we're content as cucumbers."

"Alright, you know who we are," said Elizabeth. "Now it's time for you to return the favor."

Andrew placed his rifle against the wall. "I'll start, shall I? Captain Andrew Rawlins. Well, former captain at least. My ship and crew were suddenly and viciously attacked by Cheng Lo two years ago. You see, by then, the Brethren Court were all too aware of Cheng Lo's violent nature, so they hired me to swiftly and silently remove him from his position. I guess you can call me the Court's former hired gun, because I was the pirate they turned to whenever they needed a specific job done "off the books"."

"So how'd you wind up on this island, setting traps for any trespassers?"

"Somehow my mission reached the ears of Cheng Lo, and the moment I arrived in Singapore, he had his men swarm and decimate my ship. I was taken prisoner and kept in this fortress where Cheng Lo apparently keeps every pirate he arrests. I managed to escape, and since then, I've been putting together a way to complete the duty I was originally charged with."

Rachel stepped forward. "You forgot to mention that the mission wasn't simply to assassinate Cheng Lo."

Jack looked from Rachel to Andrew curiously. "What's she talking about?"

When Andrew didn't answer the question, Rachel decided to do so. "The real purpose of Andy's mission was deemed confidential. It was to infiltrate Cheng Lo's ranks to recover a certain artifact he had in his possession. After Andy's crew was killed and his ship destroyed, he attempted to steal this artifact, but was captured in the process."

"What was this artifact?" asked Elizabeth.

"That's not important," Andrew responded. "After that, Cheng Lo had it moved to a location of his discretion. I've been after him ever since."

"Hmm, an attempt at closure?" inquired Jack.

Andrew shrugged. "I've never left anything unfinished."

For a few moments, silence filled the room. Then, Rachel finally stepped forward more. "I suppose it's my turn."

"Hang on," said Jack as he pulled out a chair from the table and sat down in it. "If this is going to turn into a storytelling session, I mind as well make myself comfortable."

Rachel regarded him sarcastically, but also as if she were amused. "Shall I continue?"

"By all means," answered Jack, playing along.

"Rachel Shaw. I've been a pirate ever since I can remember. I guess I owe it all to my father. He too was an outlaw from justice and I suppose that roguish streak in him rubbed off on me. "

"I can't imagine it was particularly easy making a name for yourself in these waters," said Elizabeth. "Especially considering that the sea has been flooded with the medieval beliefs of men ever since I can remember." By now, she had taken Michael back into her arms.

"In all honesty, my experiences as a pirate in the waters of the Caribbean have just confirmed my theory that men can be complete pigs when it comes to authority."

"Well, we're just not used to encountering women like you who are convinced that they can be captains." Jack grinned as he crossed his legs on the table. "Tell me, Rachel, do you hate men?"

Rachel walked over to Jack and shoved his chair backwards and to the ground with her foot. Jack fell heels over head. "I don't _hate _men, I just find their attitudes annoying."

Jack stood up and fixed the chair. "A self-spoken woman," he said, grinning at Elizabeth. "I like her already. Also, she doesn't look half-bad."

"Careful," warned Rachel. "The last pirate who grabbed my backside couldn't grab much else for a week."

Jack smiled devilishly. "I'll keep that in mind, then."

"And how exactly did you come to be in Singapore rebelling against Cheng Lo?" Elizabeth pressed.

"The last crew I sailed with tricked me into going ashore to one of his islands to look for a fresh water supply and marooned me in the process. As a matter of fact, Andrew here was my cellmate, and we broke out of Cheng Lo's prison together."

"So you two have been together in this game ever since."

"Yes."

"Were you two ever…intimate?" inquired Jack.

"I don't see how that's any of your business," Andrew said sharply but without a trace of sharpness.

"Fair enough. Now, that takes care of two of you," Jack turned toward Patrick and Catherine, "but what about the other two?"

"Catherine Moore," said Catherine. It was right then and there that Jack became fully aware of just how beautiful she was. Underneath a purple bandanna was red hair which fell in straight lines over both shoulders. She wore all black after that, with tight clothes that accentuated every curve of her body perfectly. Jack couldn't help but steal a glance as Catherine passed him. "All you need to know about me is after a lifetime of piracy, I'm one of the biggest advocates of preserving our way of life, if you will."

Jack cocked his head in curiosity. "You come across as dodgy about your past."

"I don't have reason to be?"

"Oh, most certainly." Jack paused for dramatic effect. "If something happened to you that you don't wish to revisit." He smirked on one side of his mouth. "What happened? You get your heart broken?"

Catherine hesitated a moment, making sure to not reveal any emotion on her face. "I was married to a pirate, and after five years of happiness…he was murdered. By the East India Trading Company."

"I'm sorry," Elizabeth said softly after a few moments of uncomfortable silence.

"Don't be," Catherine replied swiftly. "No good ever came from me wasting too much of my time grieving over his memory, so nobody else should make the same mistake. My way of dealing with my husband's death was to continue on his legacy."

"Oh, that's _very_ admirable and romantic, luv," said Jack.

"Tell me, is it possible for a word to come out of your mouth that's _not _dripping with sarcasm?"

"What can I say? It suits me well."

"Out of many other things," Catherine replied evenly. This caused Jack to raise his eyebrows in a playful and suggestive manner.

"So, that just leaves you," said Jack as he looked over at Patrick. "What's your life story?"

Patrick wore a dark brown overcoat draped over a white shirt and dark pants. A large belt strap was slung across his right shoulder and it came down to the left side of his waist. It was obvious that there were muscular arms underneath his clothes. Patrick's face was blanketed by a half-beard; one not long enough to hang from his chin but thick enough to hide the smooth skin underneath. His dark hair was closely cropped and neat. And one of his teeth had been replaced with a gold one.

"Patrick Brown. Used to be a First Mate on a ship, but when my crew was also killed, I decided to take action by agreeing to become a privateer in the employ of England, but really I was doing it only to infiltrate the East India Trading Company. Basically, I was caught, put in a prison they have here in Singapore, then escaped. After that, I met Andrew and Rachel."

"And how'd you get that little memento?" asked Jack as he indicated Patrick's gold tooth.

"A drunken brawl. You should've seen the other guy."

"So all of you have one thin in common, then," said Elizabeth. "All of you are leading a campaign against the people who've wronged you: the East India Trading Company."

"And Cheng Lo," added Andrew.

"Well, I have a proposition. Seeing as all of us are in the same situation, why don't we…combine our efforts?"

"You mean you want us to become your new crew?" said Rachel.

"Of course. Think about it…I need a new crew and you all need to find Cheng Lo. I can help you there."

"How?"

"Cheng Lo sent Elizabeth here on a little errand to fetch a particular item of interest to him. If all of us find it and take it back to him, it'd provide you with the opportunity you desire to cut him down." After the group of rebels had all stared thoughtfully at each other and at Jack, he added: "Right now, it's your only option for success."

"Would it be permanent?" asked Patrick.

Jack shrugged. "Only if you want it to be. But think about it…you'd truly be free again and not confined to this godforsaken island. You'd sail the seas again, under the command of Captain Jack Sparrow."

After trading a few last glances at each other, it was Andrew who stepped forth. "If you can ensure that Cheng Lo will be dead by the time all this is over, then we agree to sail under your colours." He held out his hand.

Jack quickly shook it, smiling as he did.

"But there's just one flaw," Elizabeth spoke up. "We don't have a ship."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that just quite yet," smirked Rachel. "Moored inside a cove on the opposite side of this island is a ship we managed to steal from Cheng Lo a while ago. It's more than capable of serving our purpose."

"But still…how can we possibly find the Essence without the map?"

Jack grinned once again. "Who says we don't have the map?" He suddenly produced said parchment from his pocket, folded up twice. Upon Elizabeth's widened eyes, Jack answered her unspoken question. "Swiped it when you were preoccupied with Sheng Kai Shek's mutiny."

"So we use this map to find this…Essence, then we…" Catherine trailed off.

"We rendezvous with Cheng Lo, you lot do what you wish with him, then we all sail the seas on the Black Pearl. Sounds like a bloody good deal, don't you think?"

"And where exactly will we be meeting him?" asked Andrew.

"The prison you were held in. Quite ironic, isn't it?"

"Very well. We set sail in the morning. In the meantime, you should get some rest." He paused. "We all should."

"I have a new crew," Jack observed. "This should be interesting."


	14. Shipwreck Cove

A/N: OK, sorry for the week's delay, but RL got in the way and I fell behind schedule. There are three more chapters left in this story, and I hope to update the story for the next three weeks every Tuesday. Anyway, enjoy!

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Chapter 13

The carnage completely covered the main deck, the fresh blood seeping from fatal wounds on the bodies of Sheng Kai Shek's crew bathing the weathered wood in a blanket of dark red liquid. The blood stained both the bare skin of the arms of the dead pirates and the silver steel of the discarded swords. The eyes of said lifeless pirates stared blankly up at the sky, but also they stared up at Calypso and Will as they weaved their way in and out of the bodies, heading toward the stairs that led below deck. Despite suffering severe fire damage below deck, the ship amazingly still remained afloat, mostly due to Calypso's powers of extinguishing flames with streams of cool water.

Below deck, fire burns and damage was clearly evident. The area that the fire had swelled was completely blistered and hot, with the wood either on the verge of cracking or completely broken. Huddled pathetically in a ball in the far corner was Sheng Kai Shek, who had severe and bloody burns running up and down the skin of his that was visible. Once each of them had set foot in the brig, Calypso and Will immediately walked toward him and Will bent down to his level the moment he was in front of Kai Shek.

"We discovered him quickly," Will said to Calypso while still keeping his eyes on Kai Shek. "He's suffered life-threatening burns, but thankfully he still retains the ability to speak."

"And why exactly is that important?" asked Calypso. She too was eyeing Kai Shek, but in her case, it was with disgust.

"Because it's not the fact that he can speak after such an ordeal that's important, but rather what he has to say." Will reached out and tapped the left side of Kai Shek's face, which was burned. The action, under the circumstances, was the equivalent of slicing skin three separate times; Sheng Kai Shek breathed in a gasp of pain.

He opened his eyes and rapidly looked around, getting his bearings. When he saw Will, he slightly straightened up in fear. "Wh…who ar..are you?" Kai Shek may have been able to speak, but it was now a challenge for him.

"That carries no significance," replied Will. "What does is you telling the woman with me what you told the rest of our crew."

Sheng Kai Shek looked over at Calypso, clearly recognizing the goddess in her human form. This caused him to pause for a few moments, which in turn made Will pull out his sword and gingerly touch the tip to Kai Shek's burnt arm skin. But this time, gingerly was the same as aggressively. Kai Shek screamed again in a bloodcurtling cry that was so loud, it could have reached the ears of the Gods.

"Speak…or you soon won't be able to."

Once Sheng Kai Shek had calmed himself, he breathed out deeply. "Before y—you atta…att…attacked my ship, w-we were trans…porting s-s-s-someone who c-could pose a threat t-to C-c-c-Calypso."

"In what way?" Calypso asked sharply, stepping forward.

"S-she was after…the Essence of the Dragon Lady."

Will straightened back up, replacing his sword. "I thought that would mean something to you."

"Who was this woman?" Calypso continued callously, ignoring Will's comment.

"Elizabeth Turner," Kai Shek spat out.

"Your wife," Calypso said to Will. "It seems she has a determination that is not easily hindered." She turned back to Kai Shek. "Do you happen to have something that could lead us to the Essence?"

"Th—there's a copy of the map in th—the Captain's cabin. Hidden be—behind a painting on the wall." Kai Shek was Quickly losing his strength and consciousness.

"Thank you," Calypso remarked politely before calmly aiming her right index finger at Sheng Kai Shek and keeping it there as the burnt pirate suddenly began to seize and gurgle uncontrollably. Seconds later, an enormous amount of water came falling from Kai Shek's mouth and nostrils and kept falling until he went limp. Calypso put her finger down and smiled coldly as she eyed the dead body. "That should cool him off."

With that, she and Will exited the brig and went inside the Captain's cabin, where they indeed found a second copy of the map leading to the Essence behind a painting hanging over the fireplace.

"It would seem we have ourselves a race," said Calypso.

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The sun had risen for a new day, and the light reflected brightly off of the blue-green sea of Singapore. The ship was moored on the backside of the island, out of view to any other vessel that passed by. It was in perfect shape, with white sails that fluttered with grace in the wind, Jack and Andrew stood at the helm, Andrew with his hands gripping the handles of the wheel while Jack simply stood beside him.

"We have a heading?" Andrew asked Jack.

"Ah." Jack pulled the stolen map from inside his coat and opened it, having to turn it from its upside down position to read it properly. "Yes, set sail northeast, where we must roughly travel…four miles to Shipwreck Cove."

"Shipwreck Cove?" Andrew inquired somewhat incredulously. "The gathering place for The Brethren Court?"

"Is there another Shipwreck Cove that I don't know about? If not, then yes, we are talking about the very same Shipwreck Cove. After all, if you think about it, it is an ideal place to hide something of great value to The Brethren. Who would think to look there in the first place?"

Andrew gave a nod of agreement before yelling out the orders to set sail in the direction determined on the map. As the crew went about casting off and other such things, Rachel approached Elizabeth, who was standing at the rail.

"Mind if I join you?" Rachel asked politely.

Elizabeth gave a silent nod, accompanied with a slight smile.

"You know, Elizabeth, it doesn't take much to see that something is deeply troubling you. And I think it has something to do with the journey on which we are about to embark." When Elizabeth looked down at her feet in hesitation, Rachel continued. "How are you involved in all this?"

"My husband," said Elizabeth as she turned around and placed her elbows behind her on the rail. "His name is Will. Originally, Calypso took him as collateral, but once she found out what damage Will could do to her, Calypso warped his mind so that he would carry out her bidding. The Essence is said to counteract anything Calypso has done, so…"

"So you want The Essence so that you can free your husband."

"Yes."

"Well you can most definitely count on us to help you," Rachel said in a firm tone. "I know what it's like to have something you deeply care about taken from you. It's not a feeling I'd wish on anyone else."

Elizabeth stared over at Michael, who was sitting a short distance away near the steps leading below deck, playing with a rope. "Michael has Will's eyes. And every time I look at him, I see Will. I see the man I fell in love with many years ago and I couldn't bear having Michael grow up without a father." A short silence lingered after these words.

"We're going to get Will back, Elizabeth. I promise you that."

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Aboard his ship, Cheng Lo was preparing to go ashore to his pirate prison when one of his crew members came up to him, a worried expression on his face.

"What is it?"

"Sparrow has escaped."

"WHAT?!"

"When I went to collect the prisoners from the brig, I discovered that he had disguised one of us as him."

"The piece of filth must have slipped aboard the vessel I let the Turner woman use." Cheng Lo kicked a nearby barrel of gunpowder in anger, but if the action caused any pain in his foot, the pirate did an expert job of hiding it. "But there may be an opportunity to regain him," Cheng Lo muttered after a few moments. "Most likely, Sparrow has some harebrained scheme planned for when Turner arrives to give me The Essence. And he will probably accompany her ashore. All we have to do is identify him and he'll rot away in a cell for the rest of his pathetic life."

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It was dusk by the time the ship Andrew had been commandeering arrived at Shipwreck Cove. After safely securing the ship, Jack and his new crew stood around on the main deck, making preparations.

"Right, we need to decide on who should lead us once we set foot ashore," said Jack. He, Elizabeth, Andrew and Patrick were all bent over the opened map. "It should be someone who has experience in leading people through…dangerous…situations." As he said this, Jack straightened up self-importantly, a gesture which clearly showed he was talking about himself.

"Maybe it should be Andrew," Elizabeth spoke up.

"Maybe not," Jack replied quickly.

"I agree with Elizabeth, Jack," Andrew said. "After all, I've spent the most time on this island, so I know all the ins and outs it offers."

"You want to get inside the Court, right?" asked Patrick. "Then Andrew is your best bet. He can guarantee we get to the Brethren's meeting area unhindered."

"Unless the Brethren have still retained the hidden guards they have stationed in the island."

"Hidden guards?" Jack inquired.

"Stealth warriors," said Patrick. "They're trained to blend in to their surroundings. The Brethren enlisted their services to ensure the security of any items located on this island they deemed…valuable."

"You can always count on the Brethren to stay on top of things," said Jack, "even when it proves to be a pain in the backside." He turned back to Andrew. "Please tell me these warriors don't possess any special abilities to, say, fight with swords using only their minds or something else of the sort?"

"No. They're merely highly trained individuals whose craft at killing makes Blackbeard seem merciful."

"Oh," Jack remarked in a mock-bright tone, "well when you put it _that_ way."

Catherine and Rachel began passing out loaded rifles. "Protection," Catherine said. "You're going to need it."

"Luv, if I had a Spanish coin for every time someone has falsely assumed I need protection…"

"You'd have one Spanish coin." Elizabeth finished Jack's remark for him and he shot her a slightly resentful stare as Elizabeth walked over to Michael and kneeled down in front of him.

"You want me to stay here, don't you?" Michael could read his mother's eyes perfectly.

"If what Andrew says is true, I don't want to place you in such a vulnerable position."

"But I _want to help._"

"I know you do, darling. Believe me, I know you do. But given the circumstances this time, I'd feel much better if I knew you were here."

"But Dad's life is involved and those are circumstances I want to help out with. Besides, if all six of you are going ashore, no one will be here to watch over me."

"I can stay with him," Catherine piped up. She had been close enough to overhear the conversation. "But who's to say he shouldn't come along?"

"Me. His mother," Elizabeth stated firmly. To this, Catherine could only give a silent nod of respect. "Are you certain you don't mind?" she asked to double check.

"Of course not."

Elizabeth pulled Michael into a hug that was filled with tenderness and motherly affection. Into Michael's ear she whispered, "I love you. That's why I'm doing this." Elizabeth then let go of her son and planted a kiss on Michael's cheek before taking the rifle Catherine offered her.

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At that very same moment, Will had already set foot on Shipwreck Cove and was currently standing just outside the entrance to the towering structure of accumulated pieces of shipwrecks that made up the meeting place of the Brethren Court. He was about to kick in the door when he decided to smash a nearby window with his boot instead. There was nobody around to hear the smash of glass and the rain of broken pieces that fell upon the floor inside. Once Will had cleared away enough of the glass for him to leap inside, he did so.

At the center of the room was a large round table which had countless wooden high-backed chairs encircling it. Will approached the table purposefully, his sword already drawn in case there were attackers hidden in the shadows, just waiting for an opportunity like this to cut down any intruders. When Will was close enough, he could spot that the round table had a circular indentation precisely placed in the middle of it…an indentation with marks and symbols written upon it that showed it was in fact a compass that was built into the table.

Before he had come ashore, Will had been told by Calypso that this would most likely be what he should be on the lookout for. According to the sea goddess, the compass markings were merely a trick used to throw off thieves; in reality, the indentation was a secret door to a vault that the Brethren frequently used to hide precious artifacts of theirs. The vault was where Calypso surmised the Essence was concealed.

All Will had to do was figure out how to open it. There was a hole in the indentation large enough for perhaps a tip of a feather to fit into, but Will could see no feather of any kind in sight.

So, he decided to wait for the inevitable. Will knew that Jack and the others were on their way right now to the very same spot, so he was content waiting for them to arrive and to open the vault for him.

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Jack and Elizabeth, accompanied by Andrew, Rachel and Patrick, had made their way into the near-center of Shipwreck Cove, with the gathering place of the Brethren only a short distance away. Each of them held a rifle in their hands, with Andrew and Patrick having theirs leveled in anticipation for any surprise attack. Everyone was pretty much sprinting toward their destination, racing against time itself.

They were mere inches away from the entrance when suddenly, six shadowy figures popped up from the wreckage that composed the surface of the island, weapons of their own aimed steadily at Jack and his crew. Immediately, everyone stopped in their tracks.

"Seems you weren't lying, Andy," said Jack, his arms raised above his head.

"Now what can we do?" Elizabeth whispered through her teeth.

"Just leave everything to me and run toward the gathering place when I give the signal," Andrew muttered low enough for only Jack and Elizabeth to hear.

"What will be the signal?"

Just then, one of the armed guards walked up to Andrew, which caused the tip of his rifle to come within arms length of Andrew. Quick as a flash, Andrew grabbed the barrel of the rifle, used one hand to pull the weapon with all his might toward him and this allowed Andrew to deliver a swift and firm punch to the lower jaw of the guard. After getting in a knee to the groin, Andrew slightly inclined his head back toward Elizabeth.

"That's the signal. Go!"

Without giving it a second thought, Elizabeth, her own rifle still in hand, dashed away toward the door to the gathering arena and smashed it in using both her momentum and her left shoulder. After splintering, the door flew off its hinges and clattered to the floor inside. Elizabeth did this all while dodging bullets.

Elizabeth looked around her, taking in the sights, but not allowing herself to be frozen by momentary awe due to the urgency of the situation. She had been carrying the map with her ever since they had set foot on Shipwreck Cove, and Elizabeth pulled the parchment from her pants pocket and observed it once she had opened it. According to the map, the Essence was located inside the round table at the center of the room. Hesitating not one more second than was necessary, Elizabeth dashed over to the table.

Once more, she consulted the map in order to discover the means of opening the vault that was indicated. There was an image of a feathered quill next to the drawing of the concealed vault, and an arrow thatwent from the quill to the leg of a wooden chair that was seated roughly underneath the indentation in the table. Elizabeth found the chair in question and after spending a few moments observing, saw a carefully concealed line in the wood that indicated the tip of the leg folded up. Elizabeth ran her fingers over the wood and discovered a grooved area which her fingers used to lift the tip, revealing the top of a white feathered quill.

Working methodically, Elizabeth pulled out the quill and quickly inserted it into the small hole it fit into. Elizabeth turned the quill, which in turn twisted the face of the vault on an inside curve so that it revealed the vault's contents: a glass vial of neon green liquid…and a fist-sized diamond.

"The Hurricane's Eye," Elizabeth breathed in astonishment.

She was about to lift both items out of the vault when suddenly, the tip of a sharp sword appeared underneath her chin and against her neck.

"Stand back," came the cold voice of Will.

Elizabeth looked over to see her husband keeping his sword leveled at her, a merciless glint in his eyes. "Will…"

"I said get back."

Elizabeth looked back down at the two items in the vault, knowing full well that if the Essence exceeded her grasp, she may never be able to free Will from Calypso's hold. She couldn't allow that to happen.

"No," she replied firmly.

Will snickered in amusement. "What? You wish to duel me for the Essence and the diamond?"

"If I have to…yes."

"Very well, then," said Will as he lowered his sword. "Draw your weapon."

Elizabeth looked into Will's eyes for the longest of minutes before finally obliging and unsheathing her sword. The action seemed to happen in slow motion.

And then, with a clang that seemed to resonate up to the heavens themselves, Will and Elizabeth began their fight.


	15. Lovers' Battle

Chapter 14

Elizabeth had fought Will before, but those circumstances were ones of practice and couldn't even begin to measure up to the grueling and emotional duel that husband and wife were currently engaged in. The two of them were both expert handlers of the sword, so them fighting each other yielded some truly interesting results. Neither Will nor Elizabeth showed any signs of faltering or fatigue; on the contrary, with each swing of the sword and clash of the blade, they seemed to grow more adept to the predicament.

Rather than practicing the more conservative moves Will had taught her all those years ago, Elizabeth was forced to use more dirty and piratical tactics in dueling her haunted husband. As Will brought his blade down hard from an overhead swing, Elizabeth blocked the blow by thrusting her sword straight up in front of her and steeled her arm muscles firmly as Will began to exert powerful pressure upon his own sword. Finally, when Elizabeth's strength seemed ready to give out, she used the last of it to shove Will away a few steps so she could dart off to the side to temporarily get rejuvenated.

But, as usual, Will wasn't so easily fazed. He immediately jumped back into the action and lunged with his blade in an upward arc. Elizabeth was able to parry it with a sharp jab to the steel and spun to the right at the same time. However, Will was upon her again in under three seconds. Roughly thirty seconds passed with Will and Elizabeth merely making various shapes in the air with each spot their blades clashed in the air. When the swords connected with each other hard, both Will and Elizabeth spun them around in a circle in an attempt to slide their opponent's weapon from their hand; it didn't work, but at least the swords were free again.

Will lunged again, missed, but expertly twisted his sword behind him to get in a clash as he turned around.

It was hard for Elizabeth not to use any physical violence in order to gain the upper hand, mainly because it was Will who was on the receiving end of all her blows this time around. However, if this duel continued on this way much longer, Elizabeth would have no choice but to throw in a few punches or kicks.

Elizabeth need not have worried about that, however, because during the moments when she had become distracted by her thoughts, Will had taken the opportunity to shove Elizabeth roughly against the round table. The chairs behind Elizabeth either skidded away a few inches or fell to the floor when Elizabeth's body came into contact with them. Elizabeth herself fell back against the table but managed to hold onto her footing.

Will lashed out as he had shifted his hold on his sword so that the blade was pointing down lethally. He violently lunged at Elizabeth, who successfully rolled out of the way in time so that the tip of Will's sword became lodged in the wooden surface of the table and became stuck. Deciding to return the favor, Elizabeth delivered a kick to Will's gut that sent him stumbling backwards and eventually knocked him off his feet.

While Will was, for the moment incapacitated, Elizabeth stood over the still open vault and swiftly retrieved the Essence. She acutely noticed that there was a small chain that linked through a tiny hole of the glass vial and she placed the Essence around her neck so that it wouldn't keep her free hand hindered. But the moment her arms fell back to her sides, the sleeve covering Elizabeth's right arm as well as the skin of her arm was cut by the tip of a blade. But before Elizabeth had time to register the sharp jolt of pain that accompanied the sudden action, she was shoved to the ground and she watched as Will stepped back up to the table and firmly yanked his sword free with a loud and forceful grunt.

Elizabeth jumped back on her feet as soon as Will resumed their duel and when their swords clashed for the umpteenth time that night, Elizabeth twirled around and grabbed hold of the wrist of Will's dueling arm. Of course, Will would have none of this, so he pushed his momentum into his right side so that both he and Elizabeth crashed against the far wall as both their hands smashed through the window that was already in the wall. Making sure to keep Will's hand through the window, Elizabeth ducked underneath his arm and positioned herself so that she could pry his fingers off the sword. What Elizabeth didn't expect was for Will to grab a handful of her hair and yank her backwards. Elizabeth stumbled to the ground as Will removed his forearm from the broken window.

Thinking fast, Elizabeth rolled sideways so that she was lying beside one of the chairs that had been shoved aside earlier. She got back to her feet, grabbed the back of the chair and heaved it up, blocking Will's latest lunge. Will agitatedly grabbed the chair too and the two of them struggled over control of it for a few seconds before finally, Will managed to toss it aside; Elizabeth backed up a few steps, prepared for whatever Will might do next.

Will leapt at her with great agility, thrusting his sword out in front of him. The weapon came within inches of sinking through Elizabeth's stomach; she had managed to evade it by contracting her stomach in and flexing her arms out in front of her. While the close call distracted her, Will managed to land a sharp jab to the left side of Elizabeth's face, namely the cheek, and he did so with the back of his left hand so that the wedding ring which was still on it left a small bloody cut on her cheek. It wasn't so serious, but it was deep enough to leave a mark over time.

Elizabeth gingerly touched her left index finger to the cut and it came away dotted with fresh blood. Will and Elizabeth continued on with their duel, a wave of emotions now building up inside of Elizabeth. She now incorporated a bit more rage into her blows, but it didn't seem to faze Will in the slightest.

But Elizabeth's blind rage eventually started to work against her, because while she was busy slashing away, Will was presented with the chance to easily knock her blade away and that's precisely what he did. Elizabeth's sword clattered to the ground a bit to the left of their current position. Now, completely free to do whatever he wished, Will roughly grabbed Elizabeth by the throat and shoved her backwards until her back slammed against the wall.

As Will continued to apply gradually increasing pressure to Elizabeth's throat, Elizabeth flailed her arms wildly in a vain effort to suck in air. When she was sure Will wouldn't relent his grasp, Elizabeth carried out her only option: she slammed her elbow down upon Will's arm joint, which left him with no choice other than to release Elizabeth. Once he did, Elizabeth slid down to the floor, gratefully gulping in the air that had been so mercilessly denied from her only seconds before. As Will shook off the pain in his arm, Elizabeth eyed her discarded sword, which lay a short distance away from her.

Without giving it a second thought, Elizabeth dived across the floor and slid steadily until she was able to snatch up her sword by the hilt. As she turned over, Elizabeth brought the sword up in time to meet Will's. Elizabeth, surprised by her sudden renewal of strength, was then able to shove Will back a few inches in order to allow herself to stand up. As she twirled to her feet, Elizabeth both parried yet another sword swipe and swiftly landed a jab of her own to Will's right cheek. Just like Will, Elizabeth used her left hand so that her wedding ring left a mark of its own on Will's face. Tit for tat.

Will allowed himself no more than two seconds to reel from the blow and was upon Elizabeth again as if nothing had happened.

Now the stakes had been raised, and Will was intent on drawing more blood from his opponent than that of a mere cut. He had no intention of letting Elizabeth get in any more blows, and his renewed anger clearly showed that. As Will kept clanging his sword against Elizabeth's, he surreptitiously slid his foot behind Elizabeth's leg and brought it forward so that Elizabeth fell backwards…again. But before she did, the chain of the Essence got caught around Will's blade and it broke, sending the Essence flying through the air and skittering across the floor, now well out of Elizabeth's reach.

Elizabeth then saw that her sword far reached her grasp again. She had no hope of defending herself in time to block Will's next move, which was only seconds away.

Indeed, Will towered over her dauntingly, his figure vastly imposing and his eyes blaring. He tossed his sword up in the air slightly in order to get a better grip on the hilt. To Elizabeth, the action seemed to occur in slow motion.

Upon seeing the pure remorselessness that was etched into Will's facial features, Elizabeth felt infinitely and helplessly weak. She knew right then and there that this was the moment in which to act, no question about it. Will was already going in for the kill when Elizabeth desperately screamed.

"STOP!"

The sudden outburst actually did cause Will to halt momentarily. Once he did, Elizabeth plowed on.

"I know you're in there. I know that the man I love is still alive inside, fighting to get to the surface…you just need a little help."

"Your pathetic little attempts to stall your death are pointless." Will started to plunge his sword down again, but Elizabeth's voice stopped him once more.

"You're Will! Will Turner! Will! Turner!" Elizabeth's voice contained a heartfelt sincerity that was infallible. "Your mother died when you were young and your father was banished to a fate worse than death. You're a kind, loving man who _always_ puts the welfare of those close to you first, no matter what it may mean for you. You've loved me ever since you first laid eyes on me and we have a son named Michael. And I know you would never…_never_ do anything to harm either of us." Elizabeth paused, seeing the hatred in Will's eyes slowly turn into confused compassion. "And I love you," she finished softly.

Those words seemed to trigger something inside of Will that Elizabeth could not completely explain. Will dropped his sword and gasped, whether in pain or shock Elizabeth couldn't tell. He backed away, grabbing his head and sinking to his knees.

The reason for this was the flood of memories that was currently sweeping through Will's mind…

_Will was standing outside the battalion in Port Royal at sunset, kissing Elizabeth for the first time._

_He kneeled down in front of Elizabeth on the beach in the moonlight, proposing marriage to her in front of countless of Governor Swann's socialites._

_He was kneeling down in front of Elizabeth, her fingers reaching out and gently stroking his cheek through the jail bars that separated them. "If it weren't for these bars, I'd have you already," echoed Elizabeth's voice._

_He kissed Elizabeth passionately in front of Jack and Norrington._

_Will and Elizabeth shared their first kiss as husband and wife._

Will, now on his back, convulsed violently, screaming in desperation. Elizabeth carefully approached him and kneeled down beside him.

_Will was overjoyed upon hearing of Elizabeth's pregnancy._

_They were in bed, reveling in each other's presence._

_Will was holding his son for the first time…_

_…consoling Elizabeth about her terrible dream._

"Elizabeth…Elizabeth…"

"I'm here, Will," she said, "right here."

_Will was in front of a mirror. Reflected in it were all the horrible things he'd done over the past few days. Will began to smash the mirror and each time he did, he received a flash of a random happy memory he had with Elizabeth. As the mirror gradually fell apart, one more image appeared in its fractured surface: Calypso's sneering face._

_"Don't be a fool. You will lose…everything."_

_With one final blow, Will shattered the mirror, his left hand bloody from the sharp pieces of glass that had broken away from the mirror._

_A white light enveloped Will, filling both his sight and his consciousness._

Will opened his eyes to see Elizabeth's scared, tear-streaked face looking down at him. "I love you, too," he said simply.

Without saying a word, Will sat up and hugged Elizabeth as tightly as he could, never wanting to let go. And before he knew it, Will was sobbing into Elizabeth's shoulder.

"Those things I did…I killed Gibbs…"

"Sssshh, it's over."

"I slaughtered the crew…killed an innocent man."

"Will, you're _not_ a killer."

Will held on tighter and Elizabeth let him get it all out.

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Just outside the Court, behind the door on the opposite side of the room, Calypso and her men were assembled with their weapons out. They had brought numerous barrels of gunpowder ashore and at the moment, those barrels were stacked in front of the closed and locked door. The barrels were connected by a stringed fuse that webbed into each wooden crate.

Calypso inclined her head slightly toward one of her henchmen, who stood at the end of the fuse with his pistol in hand. He was waiting for Calypso to give him the signal to ignite the fuse, which she did with a curt nod and a steely expression. Not wasting any time, the pirate placed his gun down upon the fuse and ignited it by firing.

"Take cover," Calypso said calmly. She indifferently backed away toward the corner of the Court; her crew followed suit.

The flaming fuse sparkled bright in the black night sky, the sizzling sound that accompanied it as audible to Calypso and her crew as cannonfire. Within a few seconds, the fuse had burned down to the barrels and a split-second later, a massive yet contained explosion rocked the area and blew the door inward.

Calypso turned to her men. "Let's pay a visit, shall we?"

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The explosion threw Will and Elizabeth, who had still been embracing each other, back against the far wall. Once the shockwave subsided, Will and Elizabeth slumped down to the floor and groaned in pain before grabbing each other's hands in a reassuring, loving squeeze. As they shook their heads to clear their vision, Will and Elizabeth saw through the lingering smoke figures carrying rifles, swords and pistols step through the open doorway.

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At the same time, Jack led his new companions through the doorway Elizabeth had used earlier, their own weapons in the air. By the time everybody was inside, everyone had their guns aimed steadily at each other; hardly anyone wasn't staring down the barrel of a gun and an unrelenting chorus of assertive shouts filled the air as everybody attempted to make themselves heard. But the one constant phrase that was heard amidst the ruckus was "Put down your guns!"

Finally, after several long moments of this, Jack whistled loudly and when everybody had settled down, he spoke calmly and casually. "Why don't we _all_ put our pistols down, savvy?"

It took a while for everyone to comply with the proposal, but eventually they did and every gun now hanged loosely at the sides of their owners.

"Unless, of course, any of us are secretly conspiring to shoot anyway."

That caused everyone to instantly point their guns upward again, every pair of eyes staring into the soul of someone in an attempt to see the intentions of the individual that ran through their mind.

"Enough with the petty games," said Calypso. "You're not what we came for, Sparrow."

"And what, pray tell, might that be?"

"Step over to the table and find out."

Jack's curious eyes lingered for a little while longer on Calypso before he cautiously lowered his rifle and deliberately made his way over to the table used for the Brethren to gather around and peered into the open vault that was built into it. Jack saw the only thing that remained inside of it: the Hurricane's Eye.

"Ah, I see. The world's greatest power is literally at your fingertips."

"Indeed. And I'm not about to let any misguided idealists stand in my way." Calypso then eyed the Essence, which was still in the same spot it had been when it was pushed from Elizabeth's grasp. "In any capacity." She walked over to the glass vial, lifted her foot and brought it down hard enough so that it smashed the vial, spilling the green liquid all over the floor. A few seconds later, the Essence dissolved into nothingness, leaving no trace of itself behind whatsoever. Calypso looked back up and gazed around at the faces of Jack's crew. She stopped when her eyes fell on Andrew as she clearly recognized him. "Ah…Andrew Rawlins. Aren't you the one whom the Brethren Court hired to reclaim the Hurricane's Eye? Well, there it is, mere inches from where you stand. What's to stop you from grabbing it now?"

Andrew stared at Calypso coldly, his gaze unwavering. "You and I both know that if I tried to, you'd no doubt find a unique way to kill me."

Calypso smiled. "You are rather clever, aren't you?

"I'm modest, too."

As Andrew and Calypso were engaged in their exchange, Jack regarded Andrew with a look that showed his surprise upon discovering that the Hurricane's Eye was the artifact Andrew had been contracted to find years ago.

"Well, then," Calypso carried on, "I have no intention of prolonging this little stand-off, so I'll just take what I came for and be on my way."

As one of Calypso's crew members went over and collected the Hurricane's Eye from the concealed vault, the sea goddess herself crossed the room to stand in front of Will and Elizabeth, who by now had stood up and were still holding each other's hand.

"You should have listened when I told you that you would lose everything."

Just then, two of her henchmen came up and grabbed Will, proceeding to drag him away. Will held onto Elizabeth's hand for as long as he could before their fingers could no longer reach one another.

"No!" Elizabeth exclaimed.

With a wave of Calypso's hand, Elizabeth was shoved hard against the wall, held there firmly by a strong invisible force. Elizabeth struggled with all her strength, but it was of no use.

Meanwhile, Jack took aim with his rifle and fired off a shot into the left temple of the pirate on Will's right; the pirate went down like a sack of potatoes after a spurt of blood escaped from the wound. However, that was all Jack was able to do, because Calypso wasted no time in doing the same to him and the others as she had to Elizabeth. Everyone who had previously been in a position to help Will was now utterly useless.

By this time, another one of Calypso's men had taken the place of the one who had just been shot.

Calypso approached her former ally while she reached into her pocket and pulled out a completely black knife which had a jagged edge on the left. The knife hanged loosely but menacingly by her side as she drew nearer. When Calypso was mere inches away from Will, she glared with fury into his eyes. She held up the knife.

"Know what this is? It's a weapon that when used to kill somebody, automatically sends their soul to the Underworld. And, seeing as how I already promised my brother Hades your soul without your knowledge, I believe now is the best time to make good on that deal. Goodbye, William Turner."

"No! NOOOO!"

Elizabeth's outcry did nothing to stop Calypso as she plunged the knife deep into Will's chest, directly above the heart.

A shocked, pained expression swept over Will's face as the life quickly began to drain from every inch of his body. Calypso released the handle the knife at the same time her henchmen released their hold on Will's arms. Will stumbled forward feebly a few steps before Calypso knocked him backwards on his back, a loud thump reverberating from the walls the instant Will's body hit the floor.

"Time to go," Calypso told her crew members. It took only a few seconds for her and her associates to clear out, leaving Elizabeth and everybody else that had been held against the wall to fall roughly to the ground.

In a stupor that combined both disbelief and utter sadness, Elizabeth crawled over to Will, whose movements were now strained and almost nonexistent. She pulled his head gingerly into lap, cradling his face as if she were afraid it would crumble to pieces at any minute. Tears poured down from her eyes at a pace comparable to that of a waterfall and she bent down, beginning to trail heartfelt kisses down his face.

"No, please no. Don't die, don't leave me. It's not fair. You can't die, no no no! I love you."

Will's mouth weakly worked and the last sounds he uttered were "I l-l-lov…y…" before he closed his eyes and fell into an eternal sleep.

Will was dead.

As Elizabeth completely broke down on the spot, Jack quietly waked away a few feet and then finally slumped against a wall, his face contorted in restrained sadness. He cradled his head in his hands before looking at Will's body one last time, his eyes becoming more moist by the second.


	16. The Deal

**A/N:** Well, finally, here are the last three chapters of the story. As of now, there are four remaining nstallments on my "Pirates" series, and I promise you they will be four fantastic adventures. Make sure to check out the "What To Expect" note attached after the final chapter. Also, I will be writing some other fanfics at the same time, so the next story has no official release date, but you'll definitely find out when it does. Just keep an eye on my "POTC Trailers" piece on here.

And, as always...enjoy!

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Chapter 15

When Will opened his eyes, he found himself surrounded by nightmarish sights.

It appeared to be a cave of some sort, the walls composed of sharp, jagged rock that was made even more terrifying by sudden bursts of lightning that originated from a misty bluish cloud which floated overhead. The entire place was shrouded in a very deep blue which glowed dully off of Will's skin.

As Will began to slowly walk forward, a gravelly crunching sound reached his ears. He looked down to see a wave of rocks, each of varying size, beneath his booted feet. Will pulled his head back up and noticed that he was on some sort of isolated landmass, which was surrounded by a moat of sorts. However, this moat of glowing blue water contained white outlines of human figures that teetered on the edge of being completely transparent. Maybe that was where the incessant low moaning was coming from, Will figured, because there was no other obvious choice for the source of the haunting sound.

Will carefully approached the edge of his little island-like landmass as his eyes continued to take in the images that covered him from all sides. _I must be in hell_, he thought.

But the instant Will came to the edge, a foreboding figure unexpectedly darted up from out of nowhere. This caused Will to take a few startled steps backward as the figure, who was surrounded by blue flames, came to a rest directly in front of Will.

The figure, a man, was dressed in black from head to toe; even his hands were hidden underneath black gloves that gripped the silver tip of a cane in front of him. Hades studied Will, taking in his appearance very carefully, making sure not to miss even the tiniest of details…including the open but dry wound directly over Will's heart that looked as if it should have been gushing blood, but wasn't.

"It would appear I have a fresh soul on my hands," said Hades silkily. "Allow me to introduce myself. Hades, Lord of the Underworld. It's always a pleasure to meet souls who have come down here only seconds after their death. They are always filled with terror and confusion…it's such an amusing experience. What's your name?"

Will glanced around one last time before giving his answer. "William Turner."

"Well, William Turner, what sins have brought you down to my humble abode?"

Will didn't need long to reply. "I've done terrible things. Things I never would have thought myself capable of. Torture, murder, insurmountable hatred for those I care about."

"A man after my own heart," Hades sneered. "But, pray tell, what motivated you to commit such terrible deeds if you had no intention of doing them in the first place?"

"The sea goddess Calypso."

At these words, Hades regarded Will with a bit more interest. With a wave of his hand, Hades conjured up two black high-backed chairs; one for him and the other for Will. "Care to sit down?"

Will examined the chair for any signs of malicious tinkering before he obliged Hades by sitting down. Rather than feeling comfortable and relaxing, this chair instead felt hard and jagged underneath Will's body.

"Tell me…how were you involved with Calypso?"

"She abducted me before turning me over to her side. That's how she was able to force me to carry out her orders. I had no choice." Will paused momentarily. "But why do you care?"

"Calypso is my sister. You see, every God or Goddess is somehow related to another. Calypso is my sister and as you may already know, my brother is Zeus." Hades eyed Will curiously. "So did Calypso kill you herself?"

"Yes. With a blade she claimed would send my soul directly here, no matter how pure my soul really is." When Will saw the slightly surprised expression on Hades' face, he became interested. "She told me that you were expecting me. Judging from your face, you clearly _weren't._"

"Why would Calypso send me a random soul without informing me? And a pure soul, free of any true sin at that?"

Slowly but surely, Will was catching on to Calypso's intentions. "Obviously to keep me from interfering with her plans and to keep you preoccupied. Calypso intends to regain her full power and leave all those who stand a chance against her either dead or incapable of doing anything. She killed me and has condemned my family to a lifetime of servitude under Cheng Lo. She also intends to kill Jack Sparrow if a conversation I had with her is any indication."

Hades' eyes narrowed in suspicion at Will. "Did you just say that Calypso intends to kill Jack Sparrow?"

"Yes. Why?"

Hades suddenly slammed his left hand down upon the armrest of his chair, which caused the area around them to erupt in violent trembles, with bits and pieces of rock falling down to the ground from far above. Once the trembling had subsided, Hades took a deep breath and spoke calmly.

"We had a mutual understanding concerning the fate of Jack Sparrow, but apparently Calypso has decided to go back on our agreement. You're absolutely certain of this?"

"Of course. Why would I lie to the Lord of the Underworld?"

Hades stood up and began to pace back and forth while he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "It seems I underestimated my sister's ability to double-cross. If she succeeds in regaining her power and attempts to control the seven seas again, it could compromise my own plan."

Will's mind was already working on an avenue of escape from his current situation. "It's exceedingly obvious that Calypso has grown beyond your control. Your attempts to contain her will ultimately fail. She's defied your trust to accomplish her own ends. You cannot stop her….but _I_ can."

Hades looked at Will in a condescending manner. "How could a mere mortal _possibly_ hope to kill a Goddess?"

"Simple. It's because I'm meant to," said Will casually.

Hades sat back down in his chair. By now, any interest he had in this newly arrived soul had peaked to its highest point. "So you're the Angel Assassin? The soul destined to kill my sister?" After Will silently nodded his head in response, Hades pressed on. "What you're suggesting is that I willingly condone Calypso's death in order to ensure that she doesn't interfere with my plans any further."

Will smirked. "Given your reputation, I'd assume you would agree to this proposition."

Hades regarded Will's hardened and determined eyes for the longest of moments before he finally spoke again. It was the penultimate question at the moment. "And if you fail?"

"I won't." Will uttered those words without any indication of self-doubt.

"But if you _do_?" Hades persisted.

Will had already both anticipated the question and determined the answer. "Then you can do whatever you want with my soul. It'll be yours for eternity."

Hades smiled, and when he did, there seemed to be a low and sinister grumble that reverberated off the Underworld walls. "Tempting…but expected. However, I shall accept that proposal but I'm afraid I'll need to expect even more fair value in return. So, since I am granting you a reprieve from death, I think it only appropriate that you promise to uphold _my_ end of this bargain."

"That end being?"

"You must give me your word that you will carry out a favor for me."

"As long as it's kept within the realm of my abilities."

"Oh, trust me, it is. For the time being, I shall keep the specifics of it to myself, but when the time comes for you to carry it out, you'll know what to do."

"Very well," said Will. "So now that we've reached an agreement, what say you return me to the land of the living so that I can kill Calypso once and for all?"

Hades stood up, which caused the chair he had been sitting in to vanish into thin air with a gust of black smoke. "A man of action, I see. I must admit, I admire that. But so be it; in a few moments, you'll wake back up among those you love with the knowledge that you will now be indebted to the one person whom you don't wish to cross. However, you have the window of one hour to kill Calypso. If you fail in your attempt…well, you know what'll happen." Hades raised his right hand, with his thumb and index finger poised to snap. "Have fun."

And with a snap of Hades' fingers, Will's surroundings evaporated into shapeless wisps of black smoke until the blackness enveloped Will's consciousness.

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Will's cold, still and pale body lay on a small wooden bench in a private cabin aboard Andrew's ship, and Elizabeth kneeled beside it, tears still streaming from her eyes. By now, Elizabeth's face was so moist from her crying, it looked as if her face had been submerged in a bucket of water. She was looking at the blank wall above Will's body, giving the impression that maybe if she didn't stare at Will for a certain amount of time, he would come back to life. But there was a blank expression etched into Elizabeth's eyes that also suggested that she had come to terms with the fact that her husband was dead and was oblivious to everything else around her.

Behind Elizabeth stood Jack, who was at a loss for words. All he was able to say was, "Elizabeth…we have to go. We've arrived at Cheng Lo's fortress."

Elizabeth heard the words, but it took her a few extra seconds to respond. "I'm not going, Jack. I can't run the risk of having Michael lose both his parents in the same day."

Jack glanced briefly at Will's body and winced. "Look, what happened to William was something neither of us could prevent, no matter how hard we try to convince ourselves that we could. But if you help us here, we can ensure that Will's death will not have been in vain."

Elizabeth glanced up toward the ceiling. "Why? Why is that we tell ourselves that we can justify death with more of it? You know, all these years I've spent aboard the _Pearl_, I've come to realize that this way of life never ends well for those who live it. And look; Will had to pay the price. It should have been me."

"You don't mean that. Do you honestly think it would be any easier on your son if _you_ were the one who got killed?" Jack let these words sink in. "I won't even pretend to understand your pain because I've never been in your position. All I'm asking is that you help finish this, and then I'll take you and Michael home."

Elizabeth gingerly traced her index finger down Will's cheek before standing up and facing Jack. "Alright. I'll help you this one last time, Jack. But leave Calypso to me…and after this is finished, we're done with each other. Permanently." Elizabeth pushed a stray strand of hair away from her face and behind her ear. "Sooner or later, Jack, anyone who gets close to you either ends up dead or hurt. In this case, it's both. And I can't allow myself any more pain."

"Alright, then," Jack said after Elizabeth's words took full effect. "Once this is over, I'll take you and Michael home and the two of you will never see me again."

"I just can't do this anymore, Jack."

Jack arched one of his eyebrows. "I can't say I wasn't expecting that."

And with that, he and Elizabeth walked out of the cabin and onto the main deck of _The Black Pearl_.

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_The Black Pearl_ was indeed moored just offshore the landmass that housed Cheng Lo's pirate prison. Currently, its position was being monitored through a spyglass cradled in the hands of Cheng Lo himself. The Pirate Lord was flanked by two of his men, each of whom were also staring out at the ship. Cheng Lo lowered the spyglass.

"It appears as if Mrs. Turner has acquired the Eye," he said.

"How can you be certain?" asked one of his henchmen.

Cheng Lo raised the spyglass again and focused in on Elizabeth specifically. In her hands, he spotted a medium-sized object wrapped in a dirty white cloth. She was also conversing determinedly with Jack Sparrow. "There's something in her hands. And if all the descriptions of the Hurricane's Eye are accurate, that could be it. We can't afford to pass up this opportunity."

"And what do you intend to do with the Turner woman and Sparrow?"

"I'm a man of my word. I struck a bargain with Turner and I will uphold my end. If she has indeed recovered the Hurricane's Eye, Elizabeth Turner has done a great thing. But Sparrow, on the other hand, his usefulness has run its course." Cheng Lo retracted the spyglass and handed it to one of his crew members. "Be at the front gate to greet our guests. Then bring them in here to complete the deal."

Without another word, Cheng Lo's men carried out their orders.

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Jack, Elizabeth and the four new crew members stepped foot on the prison island. The sky was bright blue, tinged with puffy white clouds, one of which was closing in fast on the sun. Jack and Elizabeth led the small group. Tucked underneath Elizabeth's left arm was an object Jack had chosen as a temporary replacement for the Hurricane's Eye that was meant to string along Cheng Lo. Jack knew that Calypso's logical next move would be to go after Cheng Lo directly, so Jack had figured that they could kill two birds with one stone by being there when Calypso came for Cheng Lo.

By then, the group had approached the front gate of the prison and Cheng Lo's men were slowly walking towards them. Jack leaned in close to Elizabeth.

"Whatever happens, _don't_ let them see what's underneath that cloth," he whispered into her ear. Elizabeth's response was her tightening her grip on what was underneath the cloth and her eyes narrowing in steely determination.

Seconds later, they were in front of Cheng Lo's henchmen. "Is that the Eye?" the more burly of the men said, eyeing the item in Elizabeth's hand.

"Yes," replied Jack, "and we wish to see Cheng Lo."

"And Cheng Lo wishes to see you. Once he has the Eye, he will fulfill the promise he made to Mrs. Turner."

"You can tell Cheng Lo that he needn't be concerned about that anymore."

"Why?"

Elizabeth's face took on a pained expression at the same time her lower lip started to quiver. Jack promptly stepped in for her. "That's really none of your business, is it? So why don't we just do what we came here to do, savvy?"

Cheng Lo's men nodded their heads in acquiescence and turned around to walk inside the prison. Jack hesitated a moment and looked at Elizabeth with concern. She merely wiped away a stray tear before clearing her throat and looking back.

"Let's go," she said before leading the way into the fortress. Jack stared after her for a few more moments before he and the others followed behind.

Meanwhile, at that very same moment, Calypso materialized out of thin air along with a contingent of her crew deep inside the bowels of the prison. Around her neck and tucked into her bosom was the real Hurricane's Eye.

She turned to her men, a sadistic expression smeared across her face. "Let's have some fun."

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Will woke with a jolt.

He quickly took in his surroundings and was able to deduce that he was back aboard Jack's ship. He sat up, but immediately felt dizzy once he did. Will clasped his head in his hands briefly, doing his best to regain himself. He then looked down at his chest where Calypso's sword had penetrated hius flesh. There was indeed a scar there, but curiously, it didn't appear as bloody and fresh as it should have been.

However, Will didn't have time to dwell on anything except killing Calypso. Hurriedly, he reached into one of the pockets of his black overcoat and pulled out the pocket watch he kept on his person at all times. After quickly noting the time, 2:24, he stuffed the watch back into his coat and made a mental note of it.

He had precisely one hour to kill Calypso, otherwise he would be doomed to damnation in the Underworld.

There wasn't a second to waste. Will got up, made sure he was armed, then raced off the ship and onto land.


	17. Will's Return

Chapter 16

Cheng Lo was waiting for them all inside his office. For the most part, the room was devoid of any distinguishing figures; its walls were completely bare and the floors equally dull. The only protrusion in the encircling wall was a window on the far side, which filtered sunshine inside. At the center of the room was a rectangular desk, completely cleared off, and Cheng Lo was standing directly behind it. He had a smile etched onto his face that appeared to be a combination of smug and overjoyed. Flanking him from behind were three armed guards just as muscular and mean-looking as the two who had accompanied Jack's crew inside.

"Welcome to Hell," he said as he spread his arms to indicate their surroundings. He then eyed what was clutched in Elizabeth's hand. "I believe we all wish to get this over with as quickly as possible, so what say we conduct our business and walk away pretending this never happened?"

"It's a little late for that," Elizabeth muttered coldly as she stepped forward and roughly planted the wrapped-up object on the table. Then, surreptitiously, she snaked her fingers around the handle of the pistol she had tucked away and out of sight.

Cheng Lo cocked an eyebrow. "What a curious thing to hear from you, Mrs. Turner…given the circumstances."

"The circumstances concerning your end of the deal have changed, Captain. This is me simply fulfilling _my_ vow out of courtesy."

Cheng Lo smiled. "Well, I certainly appreciate that courtesy." He then began unfolding the cloth covering what lay beneath it. But his delighted expression soon turned to astonishment as he discovered what it was he had: a rusty old compass.

Without missing a beat, Cheng Lo promptly whipped out his gun and thumbed back the hammer to bring it to rest directly between Elizabeth's eyes. By the time he had done that, though, Elizabeth had mirrored his actions.

"Surprised?" she asked evenly.

"What trickery is this?" Cheng Lo demanded viciously. "Where is the Hurricane's Eye?"

"In the possession of Calypso herself. I told you that the circumstances had changed…you just assumed that they had changed in your favor."

By now, the rest of the crew had their own weapons out, and they were aimed at either Cheng Lo or his henchmen.

"You stupid wench!" Cheng Lo spat. "Do you have any idea what you've done? You've singlehandedly condemned the lives of every soul on the seven seas in addition to ruining an elaborate plot set in motion by the Brethren Court!"

These words caught Elizabeth completely off guard, so it took her a bit longer than usual to respond. "What are you talking about?"

"My intentions of retrieving the Hurricane's Eye were never for personal gain. I was acting under the behest of the Court! They wanted to procure the Eye once they received word of Calypso's return to human form. And since I was in closest proximity to it, they entrusted me with the duty."

Elizabeth's mind was racing to keep up with this tidal wave of new information. "Wait…I don't understand. How is I the Brethren Court knew of Calypso's return in the first place?"

From behind, Jack cleared his throat loudly. "I'm afraid that's my doing, Liz." When Elizabeth chanced turning her head toward him in confusion, Jack pressed on. "You see, for quite some time the Court has been aware of my frequent involvement with you and William. It was after our encounter with Henry Morgan and the Amulet of Atlantis that they contacted me and ordered me to regularly give them updates about the two of you. For some unknown reason, they have an interest in you." Jack paused momentarily. "And through those updates, I let it slip about Calypso's awakening."

"The Court ardently wishes for Calypso to be killed once and for all," Cheng Lo interjected, "but they were particularly concerned that I wait and allow to someone else to take on the quest for the Eye."

"And so you placed that responsibility on my shoulders," finished Elizabeth. A thought crossed her mind suddenly. "But were they aware that it would be _me_ who you would choose?"

"Possibly. It is whispered that the Brethren Court retains the services of people with the ability to see the future. They call them Watchers."

"I have a question," piped up Jack after a short silence. "Did the Brethren also know that there was someone destined to kill Calypso?"

"I haven't the faintest clue," replied Cheng Lo.

"But we're all in dire need of an answer to that question," came a silky feminine voice from the shadows.

Both Elizabeth and Cheng Lo immediately pointed their guns in the area the voice had come from; clearly, each of them recognized it. Sure enough, from the shadows emerged Calypso and a few of her own men as if they had been waves crashing down upon a shoreline. Calypso radiated both sensuality and danger as she took three very deliberate steps forward.

"However…how can I be killed when the man who was meant to do so is now dead himself?"

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At the very same time, Will was hidden from view inside the wall of bushes that surrounded the perimeter of the prison. Considering the timeframe he had in which to complete his mission, Will quickly assessed the situation and settled on a course of action.

He waited until both guards stationed at the front gate had turned their backs toward him before darting out from the bushes and pulling out a knife. Will made sure that he made absolutely no sound as he swiftly approached the first guard and grabbed him by the chin, angling his neck upward and slicing the bare skin with the sharp blade. The pirate slumped to the ground dead without any screams or words of warning.

However, the sound of the body hitting the grassy and sandy ground caused the second guard to whip around. But before he could do anything by way of an attack, Will jammed the knife straight into this guard's throat as well. The instant Will retracted his weapon, the goon fell to the ground while making incoherent gurgles.

The first wave taken care of, Will entered the prison, briefly having to adjust his eyes to the dimmer glow the torches gave off compared to the bright sunshine outside. Instantly, Will was met with the sight of three more guards patrolling the corridors. Will allowed himself only a quick moment of rest before jumping back into action. He literally did that by way of propelling himself forward and lodging the knife he still held sideways into the first pirate's neck. Will then used the lifeless body to knock the second one on his back. This gave Will more time to fight with the third. He unsheathed his full-sized sword and performed a fast series of "one-two" type moves before using his booted foot to knock his opponent away. This had Will fully prepared for the second pirate, who by now had pushed his dead compatriot off of him and was back in the game.

But this person's attempts did not last long. All Will had to do was bring his sword down horizontally upon the pirate's unprotected chest, and it created a bloody slash that the guard would be unable to recover from. Finishing off the job, Will then landed a decisive punch to the pirate's jaw, which sent him reeling backwards, unconscious once his head connected very hardly with the stone floor.

This left only one more of Cheng Lo's henchmen for Will to deal with. Indeed, said pirate was ready for Will by the time he had swirled back around. But the pirate's physical appearance clearly told Will that this was a man relatively unfit for physical combat for long periods of time. After roughly one minute of clanging swords, Will kneed the pirate in the gut and then firmly grabbed him by the neck of his shirt. Will proceeded to drive the goon back against the wall and the moment he had him in the desired position, Will placed the tip of the knife, now in his left hand, against the skin of the pirate's neck. Will applied enough pressure to draw small amounts of blood.

"Where would Cheng Lo be?" Will asked sharply.

"In…his private quarters. Upstairs," the pirate muttered weakly.

"_Where _upstairs?"

"Second level. Last door on the right."

To show his gratitude, Will knocked out the pirate by swiftly connecting his elbow with the goon's head. Once that was done, Will pulled out his watch and studied the face. 2:31; plenty more time.

Will raced up the stairs leading to the second level.

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"What are you doing here?" Cheng Lo inquired as Calypso began to make her way around the table.

"Oh, I think you already know the answer to that question." Calypso reached down into the space in between her breasts and slowly pulled out the Hurricane's Eye. "I just wanted to see the look of pure horror on your face as your life slowly slips away." She looked at Elizabeth. "And it's time I rid myself of you as well. And guess what? We have company." Calypso motioned with her fingers, and out of the shadows came Bootstrap, Jacquelyn and Michael. She then walked around behind Michael and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "You know, you really should exercise more caution when it comes to the safety of your son."

Michael jerked his head away from Calypso's, which made her smile. But when Calypso wasn't looking, Michael secretly glanced toward his mother and caught her attention. With his eyes, he told Elizabeth that he and Jacquelyn already had something in mind.

Elizabeth widened her eyes slightly, a subtle sign to tell Michael to do nothing. But Michael returned the expression with one of his own that clearly said "No way!"

"Now," continued Calypso, who was still bent over Michael, "why don't we kill your mother first?"

Calypso glanced up at Elizabeth wickedly, but before she could do anything else, Michael yelled "Now!" and he and Jacquelyn immediately sprung into action.

Jacquelyn grabbed a handful of Calypso's blonde hair and tugged hard. While she did this, and while Calypso gasped in anger, Michael stepped down hard on top of Calypso's left foot and elbowed her in the stomach. This allowed Michael ample opportunity to dart around behind Calypso after he had stolen her sword and smile mischievously as he gladly poked the sea goddess in her butt with the pointy end.

Calypso yelped in pain as Jacquelyn pulled her down to the floor and both she and Michael jumped on top of her.

As this happened, Jack and Patrick, who were closest to Elizabeth, approached her, they all fired their guns at Calypso's men, all three of them killshots. Once those henchmen were down, Bootstrap grabbed the sword of the one closest to him. By this time, everyone was eyeing the progress of the two children.

"Those children are crafty little devils," Patrick commented to Elizabeth.

"It's what they do best," she replied with a slight smile on her face.

Now, Michael and Jacquelyn were absolutely tormenting Calypso. They were employing the most juvenile tactics; Jacquelyn was continually slapping her in the face while Michael was now using the blunt end of the sword to spank her without remorse. Elizabeth couldn't say she disapproved of her son's prankish nature in this instance.

But suddenly, a huge burst of water that emanated from the sea goddess sent both kids flying backwards. As Calypso rose awkwardly, she pulled out a pistol and aimed it at the child closest to her: Jacquelyn. She thumbed the hammer, but just as she fired, Cheng Lo intervened and took the bullet. He fell roughly to the floor as Jack swept in and scooped his daughter up into his arms. Elizabeth did the same with Michael.

On the floor, Cheng Lo rolled over onto his back, fresh blood trailing from the bullet wound. Andrew and Patrick went over and knelt down beside him in order to assess the seriousness of said wound. Andrew looked back up to Jack.

"He'll live. It's not too serious."

"You shouldn't be concerned about _his_ well-being," Calypso seethed through clenched teeth. "You all should be worried about your own quality of life."

Just then, there was another violent burst of water that sprayed everybody in the room and sent them flying backwards. Elizabeth landed hard against the portion of the wall that was directly next to the doorway. When she groaned and rolled over onto her left side to haul herself up, her vision became filled with the sight of a pair of black boots. Elizabeth glanced upward to see who they belonged to, and immediately her face became both joyous and confused.

Standing over her and looking down with extremely warm tenderness was Will. A flood of questions invaded Elizabeth's mind, but she shifted aside all of them as she gratefully took Will's offered hand and he pulled her to her feet. Husband and wife embraced tightly and lovingly before kissing with the same amount of affection.

Will rested his forehead against Elizabeth's. "Get everyone out of here," he told her softly. "Free the prisoners and get out. This is now between me and Calypso."

"But…how…?"

"Later. Right now, I have to defeat her."

Elizabeth turned to face everyone else, who were all staring at Will in utter disbelief.


	18. The Duel

Chapter 17

Andrew and Patrick rose to their feet, wide-eyed and with their mouths slightly agape.

"Leave," Will repeated in a firmer and much louder voice.

Everyone could spot the complete seriousness in Will's eyes, so they silently acquiesced to his request. Elizabeth lingered momentarily after everyone had gone and looked deep into Will's eyes.

"Be careful," she said quietly before planting a soft but firm kiss on Will's lips and retrieving a ring of keys from Cheng Lo. After giving Will one last loving glance, Elizabeth exited the room to join the others.

This left Will and Calypso engaged in a staring match, each of them radiating a steely resolve. Will already had his sword drawn, but Calypso had to pick hers up from the floor, but when she brought it back up, she held it in a way that suggested she was more than ready for the forthcoming battle.

She and Will momentarily circled around one another, never breaking their gaze. At that very same moment, the sky outside was gradually becoming inundated with dark gray clouds the sun was powerless to penetrate. This sudden appearance of clouds was accompanied by a strong roll of thunder and a few quick bursts of lightning.

The instant the last burst of lightning lit the sky, Will and Calypso locked swords.

The time was now 2:36.

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Jack's crew raced along the corridors of the prison, using the butts of the guns to smash the locks chained to each iron cell door. Once they had done that, the prisoners inside each cell hastily pushed open the cell doors and dashed to their freedom. Each inmate was now running as fast as their legs could take them toward the exit.

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In addition to pouring relentlessly outside, rain was violently pounding down inside as well. But this did not seem to deter either Will or Calypso in the slightest, as they were focused on their duel. The battle had already yielded a few cuts and bruises, which said something about the level of brutality involved.

Their feet sloshed in the puddles of water quickly forming beneath them, and pretty soon, the pair had taken their fight out into the corridor.

Will easily blocked every slash sent his way, despite a trail of blood leaking from beneath his hairline and down over his nose. His latest swipe was able to tear a hole in Calypso's left sleeve, but that did not faze her in the slightest. Calypso continued on, the clashing of steel barely audible over the torrential rain and the deafening thunder.

Pretty soon, they came to a portion of the corridor that had a circular opening in the roof which, from the looks of it, led up onto the roof of the prison. Dangling from this opening was a thick rope, secured to some sort of rigging device. Will dodged Calypso's latest lunge by leaning backwards at almost a ninety-degree angle and coming back u[p to punch her in the face.

Will used the opportunity to smash the rigging device and he held onto the rope as it began to rocket upward. However, Calypso had managed to grab hold of Will's legs, and she hung on tight as they both were pulled up onto the roof. There, they were thrown roughly down onto the stone footing, where they each had to rest a bit before persisting.

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Meanwhile, Jack led the immeasurable amount of pirates out of the prison and into the hellish rainstorm that had appeared out of nowhere. Everyone came to a halt and surveyed the expanse of sea that lay before them. Jack knew that it would be suicide to try and sail away from the island in the midst of a rainstorm this violent.

Jack and Elizabeth, whose soaked hair now seemed to cling to her face, shared a knowing expression. Jack was about to say something when a faint sound caught his ears. It seemed to attract the attention of Elizabeth as well, since she accompanied Jack in turning his head in the direction of where they deduced the sound to be coming from.

Indeed, at the top of the prison, they saw Will and Calypso fighting to the death.

Elizabeth gasped when she saw Calypso kick Will hard behind his kneecap, causing him to slump down onto his knees in pain.

"I've got to help him!" Elizabeth yelled over the rain.

"What?" Jack fired back, partially incredulous.

"He's my husband, Jack! I'm not about to lose him again!"

And with that, Elizabeth dashed back into the prison and began climbing all the stairs she came across in her hurried and desperate attempt to reach the roof in time.

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After Calypso's foot had collided hard against his knee joint, Will crashed down hard onto the roof as he let out a short cry of pain. However, he continued to swing his sword in near impossible arcs; he would keep fighting Calypso as long as he had to.

Will got in a slash that he knew cut very deep into the skin of Calypso's right leg. Calypso screamed I agony, and as she did, she closed her eyes. She shouldn't have made that mistake. Will propelled himself forward and onto Calypso, the end result being the two of them rolling in a confused heap; both their swords skidded away.

Once they had stopped rolling around, Calypso ended up on top of Will and she sadistically pounded down on Will's chest hard, which made the air evacuate Will's lungs for a few moments. But the second he had recovered from that, Will slammed the side of his hand into Calypso's throat, causing her to fall onto her back, gasping for air.

Will sat up, then dived for his sword. But when his fingers were mere inches away from the handle, Will felt a strong force knock against the back of his head. This caused him to sprawl over the stone as he desperately tried to clear away the sudden waves of pain rocketing against his brain.

What Calypso didn't see as she picked up her own sword and purposefully approached Will was Will finding his knife and secretly gripping it underneath his chest. Now, Calypso was standing directly over Will, her blade poised to strike Will for the second time.

Calypso then began to thrust her sword down, but Will darted out of the way at the last moment so that the blade partially penetrated the stone. In the same movement, Will turned over and used all the strength he could muster to pierce Calypso's chest. He thrust the blade even deeper a few seconds later to ensure that it would kill her.

As Calypso staggered away in utter shock, Will got to his feet and watched. A few seconds later, he delivered a powerful uppercut that sent the sea goddess flying through the air and crashing down upon the roof. The instant Calypso's body made contact with solid footing, it evaporated in an explosion of water.

At the same time, Elizabeth came up from another hole in the roof to see Will get thrown back with surprising force by the explosion of water. Will's body was propelled backwards as if a giant was blowing against him. Will flew back all the way out over the island…and into the sea.

"WILL!" Elizabeth screamed.

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Jack saw Will's body fly through the air, and he immediately gave chase. The moment Will crashed into the ocean, Jack dived in after him.

Jack was able to spot Will's unconscious form within seconds. Jack swam toward him and wrapped his arms around Will's waist. Once that was done, Jack began to swim both of them to the surface…then the shoreline.

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When Will opened his eyes again, sunshine invaded his vision. He had to shield them with his hand before sitting up. He soon discovered that he was surrounded by Jack, Elizabeth and four people he didn't know. But before he could dwell any further on that, Elizabeth enveloped him in a tight hug as she began to lightly sob into his shoulder. Will buried his own head in Elizabeth's shoulder as he cupped her head with his hand.

When Will came back up for air, he noticed something sparkling in the corner of his eye. It was the shattered remnants of the Hurricane's Eye.

Calypso was finally dead. For good.

Suddenly remembering something, Will reached into his pocket and pulled out his watch. The time read 3:24. He had made it in time, but he still owed a debt to Hades.

But Will shifted that thought aside for the moment as his lips locked firmly with Elizabeth's.

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Roughly a week later, Will, Elizabeth, Bootstrap and Michael had arrived back in Port Royal and were home. Jacquelyn had chosen to stay with her father aboard _The Black Pearl_, which Michael had some trouble accepting, but Jacquelyn had promised to visit as often as she could.

For the Turners, everything went well for the rest of the day. But the night was a completely different story.

Bootstrap chose to work late at the Blacksmith's Shop and around 1:30 in the morning, he had drifted off to sleep. The sudden banging of the door awoke him with a jolt, but when Bootstrap went to investigate it, he found no one there.

He closed the door and turned around, but was immediately shoved against the door by a young man with rugged good looks and a dagger aimed between Bootstrap's eyes.

"Make one sound and you're dead," snarled the man. "Now, tell me everything you know about William and Elizabeth Turner."


	19. NOTE: What To Expect

**WHAT TO EXPECT**

The next installment is subtitled "Treasure of the Tides".

We find out who the man is inquiring about the Turners.

Will shall still be affected by his dark turn.

We find out more about Elizabeth's family, and Elizabeth will have a really big role in "Treasure".

Pretty much every new character we meet will stick around for a while.

We slowly find out why the Brethren Court is so interested in Will and Elizabeth.


End file.
